Return of the Jedite
by Tuxedo Alex
Summary: A lone survivor from the Dark Kingdom has captured the Imperium Silver Crystal from Serena during the night, and manages to revive Jedite! Are the Sailor Senshi strong enough to stop him this time, or will they have to seek out power elsewhere?
1. Chapters 01 and 02

RETURN OF THE JEDITE  
by Tuxedo Alex  
  
AUTHORS NOTES  
  
This story is supposed to provide an alternate story line to the Sailor Moon series. It starts after the Sailor Moon R series ends (the Death Phantom is destroyed and Rini goes home to Crystal Tokyo). The next events are of my own creation and do not relate to the Sailor Moon S series (at least not intentionally).  
  
I finished this fanfic over a year ago, before the S and SuperS seasons were dubbed in America. Please excuse any attack names that are DiC-ish, because that is what I had to work with at the time. ;) This story, after looking back, seems a cross between Japanese and American references. So, please excuse the term "Negaverse" as opposed to "Dark Kingdom", because the story focuses on Jedite.  
  
Also, each part posted here will contain two chapters.  
  
Anyway, please enjoy the story!  
  
PROLOGUE  
  
Within the deep recesses of the Negaverse stood a prison of lost souls. This wasn't a normal prison, however, for the condemned souls were forced into large, green crystals, frozen in time. They were servants of Queen Beryl who were sent there for betrayal or failure; forced to sleep forever. They were all put on display to the general public to show what happens to anyone the Queen doesn't like.   
  
Ever since the Queen had been defeated, the Negaverse had halted attacks on the Earth realm. Without a leader, and no foreseeable heirs to the throne, there was no one to initiate attacks at all. The prison still stood in memory of the Queen, though.  
  
A woman in a cloak stepped up to one crystal in particular. The soul within it wore a uniform symbolizing a member of the Queen's army. It was gray, except for a red insignia of the collar, white gloves, and black shoes. He had short, blond hair, and a surprised expression on his face. "That must have been what he looked like the second he was frozen", she thought to herself. At the bottom of the crystal was a small plaque with his name etched on it. It read "Jedite".  
  
"Oh, Jedite," said the woman aloud, "I'm so sorry for what the Queen put you through. I was the last surviving member of her empire, so I saw everything that happened. From when you were frozen, to when she was defeated. Now here it is, over a year later, and you're still like this." She put her hand upon the crystal where his hand was. "I'll get even with those Sailor Scouts for you. I'll even set you free. All I need is the Imperium Silver Crystal. I'll get it, too, or my name isn't Lilithite!"  
  
CHAPTER 1  
  
Luna and Artemis stood at the edge of a cliff, along with the Sailor Scouts, who were losing badly. The shadowy figure in the distance had nearly torn them apart. Flames surrounded them, uniforms were ripped, and Tuxedo Mask was nowhere in sight. "Come on, Sailor Scouts," encouraged Luna. "We can't let the Negaverse win!"  
  
Sailor Moon lifted her head up. "I know, Luna, but he's just too strong! None of us were able to even scratch him!"  
  
"I know," Luna responded, "but we must press on!"  
  
Sailor Moon and the rest of the Scouts tried their best to stand up. "You're right!" shouted Sailor Moon as she the crew joined hands to pool what was left of their powers together. "MOON CRYSTAL POWER!" she shouted.  
  
"MERCURY STAR POWER!" shouted Sailor Mercury.  
  
"MARS STAR POWER!" shouted Sailor Mars.  
  
"JUPITER STAR POWER!" shouted Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"VENUS STAR POWER!" shouted Sailor Venus.  
  
"SAILOR PLANET POWER!" cried them all.  
  
Five huge beams of energy streaked toward the dark figure, but from one lift of his hand, the energies stopped in mid-air, and converged into a huge ball. "This is the end of the Sailor Scouts!" he boomed triumphantly.  
  
He flung the energy back to the Scouts, engulfing them all. Luna and Artemis could only watch in horror as the energy dissipated. The symbols of the Scouts flew in a circle, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, and Jupiter. They flew faster, and faster, until the symbols broke apart.  
  
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Luna woke up with a start. It took a while to get her bearings, but she figured out it was only a dream. She was still in Serena's room, and nothing had changed. She decided as long as she was up, she'd look around a bit. It was a beautiful starry night. Not a cloud could be seen. She went toward Serena, and just stared at her for a second. "Look at her," she thought to herself. "She's matured so much in such a short time. And yet, she still contains some of her ditzy qualities. I guess some things just can't be changed. However, her improvement is very commendable."  
  
Her focus shifted toward Serena's picture on her desk. It was her and Darien, sitting by the tree. "Serena and Darien," she thought. "Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask. Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion. A love that has transcended through time, that can never be broken. Serena's a lucky girl."  
  
This made her think of Rini. The future daughter of Serena and Darien. "She's such a wonderful little girl, when she chooses to be," Luna thought. "Now that Serena stopped the Death Phantom, her future looks very bright. But here it is, three weeks later, and I still miss her."  
  
She then gazed out the window once more. "I just hope my dream didn't mean anything. The universe would be doomed if the Negaverse won." She then shook that image out of her head. "No, no, no, that would never happen. The Sailor Scouts are strong. Even without their powers, they are very resourceful, and could get out of any situation. And if anything should happen, their guardian planets would guide them to victory."  
  
Suddenly, Luna heard a loud crash downstairs. She sprang out of Serena's room, and peered downstairs. A window in the living room was broken, and a few feet away was a figure dressed all in black. "Oh, no!" Luna thought to herself. "Somebody's broken in!"  
  
Luna ran back into Serena's room, and tried to stir her awake. "Serena!" Luna shouted into her ear. "Serena wake up! There's a burglar in the house!"  
  
Serena was still half asleep. "Oh, Luna, it's too early to get burgers. Go back to sleep." Serena turned over to one side.  
  
"No, Serena!" Luna shouted. "Someone's broken in!" Frustrated, Luna bit Serena's ear and pulled on it, hard.  
  
This brought Serena out of her sleepy state. "OWWW! Quit it!" she shouted. "What's the big idea, Luna?"  
  
A second crash from downstairs answered her question. "That's the big idea!" shouted Luna. "There's a burglar in the house!"  
  
Serena froze in her bed. "A b…b…burglar?" she said, scared out of her wits. One million scenarios played out in her head at once. "What am I going to do? What if they take everything? What if they take our TV set? I'll never watch my favorite shows again!…"  
  
"Calm down!" shouted Luna. "We have to get that person out of here before it steals everything!"  
  
"Aa…aaa…all right," stuttered Serena, She instinctively reached for her neck, and her transformation broach. She then remembered it was lying on her desk. She got out of bed, and slowly went over to her desk, so she wouldn't stir suspicion from downstairs. The broach seemed to bring her good luck, whether she was Sailor Moon or not. When she picked up her broach, however, the Imperium Silver Crystal started to glow. "Luna, it's glowing!" she whispered loudly.  
  
Luna gasped. "Oh, no!"  
  
"Is this bad??" asked Serena frantically.  
  
"Very!" uttered Luna. "Our little 'burglar' may not be human!"  
  
"That's impossible," said Serena. "We defeated that monstrosity Phantom-guy, and the Negamoon Kingdom weeks ago!"  
  
"I know," Luna responded. "But maybe we missed someone along the way!" The crystal began to glow brighter. "The burglar is coming closer to us! We must act quickly!"  
  
"Right," said Serena. She held the Broach high, and began to transform. "MOON…CRYSTAL…"  
  
But before she could finish, her bedroom door burst open, and a figure rushed through. Within an instant, the figure used its speed advantage to knock over Serena and take her broach. Luna tried to attack, but she was batted away as well. The figure made its way to the window, and started to yell triumphantly once it was at the sill. "It's mine!" it cried. "The Imperium Silver Crystal is finally mine!" The figure than disappeared into the darkness.  
  
"Oh, no!" Serena cried. "Where is it? Where's my broach?"  
  
"That thing took it," muttered Luna, who wound up behind Serena's bed. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you."  
  
Serena turned on her light, and started to fumble through all her things. "Ohhhh, I hope it didn't take my communicator!" Looking though all her things, half scared, half worried, she found it in one of her drawers. "Got it!" she said.  
  
Just when she was about to call someone, someone else burst into room. It was her mother, Irene. "I heard noises," she said. "Is everything alright?"  
  
Serena began to cry. "Oh, Mom, someone broke in the house, came in here, and stole my broach! It was horrible!"  
  
Irene instinctively came to Serena's side. "There, there," she said, trying to console her. "We can always get you another broach."  
  
"But Mom, it's my…" Serena caught herself in the nick of time. "…uh,…lucky broach!"  
  
"Well, I'm sure whoever stole it will be caught, and you'll get it back."  
  
Serena started to mutter under her breath. "I don't think we can."  
  
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A few blocks from Serena's house stood the figure. She had been running so long that she had to catch her breath. She didn't want to take any chances of being caught, so she ducked into an alleyway. Breathing hard, she pulled two items from her pockets. In one hand lay a dark, twisted crystal. In the other, Serena's transformation broach.  
  
"Ah, Lilithite, you've outdone yourself this time," she said to herself. "The Locating Crystal worked like a charm." She paused to kiss the black crystal. "I have managed to do what all others could not! I have stolen the Imperium Silver Crystal, and the source of Sailor Moon's powers! That little brat I took it from is probably weeping in her ditzy blonde hair right now!" She gave an evil laugh as she headed down further into the alley. "Now, Jedite, you shall be free, and you'll have your revenge!"  
  
She uttered a single word of magic, was surrounded in black light, and disappeared into the Negaverse.   
  
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While Serena's mother tried to comfort her, Luna snuck off into the hallway with the communicator. She had to contact someone about this. But the problem was who? It was three o'clock in the morning, and everyone was probably asleep now. Then she remembered Artemis. He was usually up this time of night, on the prowl. She punched in the code to call Mina, and frantically called Artemis' name. "This is Luna calling Artemis! Artemis, please respond! Artemis…"  
  
Suddenly, Artemis came onto the miniature screen. "Whoa, whoa, calm down Luna!" he said. "What's wrong? It has to be major this time of night."  
  
"Something is wrong! Something terrible," stuttered Luna, nearly choking over her own words. "Someone broke into the house, and stole the Imperium Silver Crystal!"  
  
Artemis gasped. "Oh, man, this IS major! Do you know what this guy looked like?"  
  
"I…I don't know," said Luna, a bit shaky. "That thing that took it was all dressed in black, and had a woman's voice. I tried to stop it, but it was too strong, and Serena was knocked down on the floor, and…" Luna began to ramble hysterically.  
  
"Luna! Pull yourself together," shouted Artemis. "Try and calm down."  
  
"Calm down?" Luna said "What's there to calm down about? In the wrong hands, the Imperium Silver Crystal could be a very dangerous weapon!"  
  
"But we don't know who has it!" said Artemis. "Which is why you should calm down. For all we know, it could be a misguided friend."  
  
Luna thought it over, and realized the same thing. "Well, you may be right," she said. "But I want an emergency Scout meeting in the morning. We'll meet outside in the park at 8:30. Okay?"  
  
"Gotcha, Luna," said Artemis, keeping his cool. "Mina and I'll inform the other scouts. Tell Serena about the meeting, and try to get some sleep."  
  
"I will," said Luna. "Thank you for helping me get my head together."  
  
"See you in the morning," said Artemis as he shut off the transmission.   
  
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Mina was stirred awake by their conversation. "Artemis?" she asked, half-asleep. "What's going on?"  
  
"It looks like we got a crisis on our hands," said Artemis, bleakly.   
  
CHAPTER 2  
  
Luna awoke again, the sunlight filtering in her eyes. She was surprised that she could sleep last night, with her strange dream, and the theft of the Imperium Silver Crystal figured in. She looked at Serena's clock. "Five minutes before 8:00," she thought to herself. She let out a big yawn, and went to wake Serena. "Come on, Serena," she said aloud. "We have to get ready for the meeting."  
  
However, Serena wasn't in her bed. Or in her room in that matter. "Serena?" Luna called. "Wonderful," she muttered. "First the Imperium Silver Crystal is missing, and now it's owner." Once again she exited Serena's room, and peered downstairs. Serena was by the front door, waiting for her.   
  
"I was about to leave without you," said Serena.  
  
Luna was shocked. "What are you doing up so early?" she asked.  
  
"I couldn't sleep," Serena responded. "I was worried about the crystal. Besides, we got some Sailor business to take care of!  
  
"Well, I'll be," Luna thought to herself. "Serena was actually up before me!" Luna jumped upon Serena's shoulder as they headed toward the park.  
  
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"Good-bye, Grandpa!" shouted Raye as she left out the front door.  
  
"Have fun with your friends!" yelled her Grandfather.  
  
Raye left her home, her transformation stick and some food in tow. She felt bad that she had to skip breakfast, but this was more important. Serena's broach had been stolen, and the Imperium Silver Crystal along with it. She knew the consequences if the crystal fell into the wrong hands. "I hope we get the crystal back safely," she said to herself. "We're losing a lot of strength in our team without Sailor Moon."  
  
When she arrived at the entrance of the park, she heard a familiar voice. "Raye…over here!"  
  
It was Amy. She ran toward the entrance, towards her friend. When she got there, she began to gasp a little for air. "I'm not late, am I?" she asked. "I forgot my watch."  
  
"Not at all," Raye responded. She checked her watch. "In fact, were ten minutes early."  
  
"That's good," said Amy. "Shall we go in?"  
  
Raye and Amy entered the park side by side. They enjoyed eachother's company. "We're supposed to meet by the fountain, right?" asked Raye.  
  
"Right," said Amy. "I nearly forgot myself. It's hard to remember when you're woken up at three in the morning!"  
  
Both chuckled at the thought. "I hope the meatball head didn't just hand over crystal in her sleep."  
  
"Of course not," Amy retaliated. "You know she guards the Imperium Silver Crystal with her life. Even in her sleep."  
  
"Your right," said Raye. "Well, to change the subject, how's your summer vacation going?"  
  
"Okay, I guess," responded Amy. "All the summer schools in the area can't teach at my level, so I applied for a part time job at the hospital near here. I'm working under my mother!"  
  
"Congratulations, Amy!" Raye said. "I guess it pays to have family in the business."  
  
Amy turned a slight shade of red. "I didn't get the job just because my mother works there," she retorted.  
  
Raye laughed slightly. "Sure, you didn't," she teased. Seeing Amy curling up her fist, she decided to stop for the time being. "How's work there?"  
  
"It's okay," she said. "It may not be perfect, but at least I'm one more step toward becoming a pediatrician! How's your summer going?"  
  
"I've been helping out my Grandpa a lot. Chad's helping out a lot, too. The temple has never looked better. I still catch Grandpa swinging from trees now and then."  
  
Amy started to giggle. "That aside, it seems that you and Chad are becoming a good 'team'."  
  
Raye started to turn red, her medicine firing back upon her. "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"Oh, nothing." Amy started to laugh more.  
  
A few minutes later, they approached the water fountain where they were supposed to meet. It had the body of a beautiful angel, water gushing from a water pot it had grasped in it's hands. "I suppose we're the first one's here," Raye said, turning to Amy.  
  
Amy looked a bit shocked. "Uh, I don't think that we're…"  
  
"So I guess we'll wait for that meatball head to show up," Raye said, cutting her off. She sat on the edge of the fountain, unaware of the figure standing behind her.   
  
"And just who are you calling 'meatball head'?"  
  
Raye turned around. It was Serena, with a disgusted look on her face. Raye nearly fell over in her seat. "Oh my! She's actually early!"  
  
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Within a few minutes, Lita and Mina, and Artemis arrived at the fountain as well. They were shocked that Serena was the first to show up as well. Lita quickly assumed that Serena wasn't feeling like herself. As everyone gathered near the fountain, they began the Sailor business. "I skipped breakfast, so I took along some of these muffins to eat while I was here." said Raye. "Would anyone like one?"  
  
Serena was the first to speak. "No thanks, I'm not hungry."  
  
Everyone in the party gasped. "Serena refusing food?" said Lita. "Now I know she's not herself!"  
  
"Very funny, Lita," Serena retaliated. "I was up early this morning, so I fixed something on my way out. Is that against the law?"  
  
"And she's up early!" said Mina, starting in on the fun. "Okay, who are you, and what have you done with the real Serena?"  
  
Everyone got a much needed laugh out of that one. Even Serena chuckled a little. "Alright guys, I can take a joke," she said. "I was just worrying about my broach and the crystal, that's all."  
  
Artemis rose his head up, tears still roaming down his face from the laughter. "She's right," he said. "That's what we should be talking about, anyway."  
  
"So what exactly happened last night, Serena?" asked Amy. She had her notepad out, ready to take notes.  
  
"Well," Serena began, "I remember Luna waking me up." She then held her ear, which was still a little red. Luna blushed. "Then I heard a crash from downstairs. I got my broach, and the Crystal started to glow. I began to transform, than someone, or something, knocked me over. It took my broach, and it left, screaming something about 'The Imperium Silver was finally theirs' and left through my window. I was about to call one of you, than my mother came in to see what all the ruckus was about. About everyone was awake by then. It was about four in the morning when the police came. I told them my story, then Luna told me there was going to be a Sailor meeting tomorrow, and that I should get some sleep. But I couldn't. I kept punishing myself for losing the crystal." Serena held her head low. "I'm sorry, guys. You probably think that I'm a total dunce now, huh?"  
  
"Of course not," said Mina. "It's that person's fault."  
  
"Yeah," said Raye. "Besides, I knew you wouldn't give up the crystal voluntarily."  
  
"You're a great leader," said Amy. "Even without the broach, you're still the greatest asset to the team."  
  
"We'll get the crystal back," chimed in Lita. "Don't you worry."  
  
Serena felt a wave of reassurance about her. "Thanks a lot. I pays to have friends like you."  
  
"But now we have a problem," said Luna. "We don't know who stole the crystal, and we don't know where to start looking."  
  
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Darien's morning jog came to a sudden halt when a strange feeling came over him. Something in his gut cried out to him. "Serena?" he thought to himself. "Something's happened to Serena!" A vision of her came into view. He knew something was wrong, but he couldn't quite place it. Pictures of her, the Imperium Crystal, and the park near her school circulated in his mind. "Please let my instincts be right," he muttered to himself as he changed the direction of his jogging route…  
  
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"I'll use my computer to scan for residual energy the crystal may have left behind," suggested Amy.  
  
"I'll consult the fire spirits for some answers," added Raye.  
  
"Mina and I'll do anything we can do to help," said Lita.  
  
Serena felt at a loss. Her broach was gone, and with it her powers. She felt she couldn't contribute anything to the group. "But what can I do?" she asked. "After all, it's my broach we're looking for!"  
  
"You can come with me," said Amy. "You can show me where you lost your broach so we can start the search."  
  
"Okay," said Serena. "We should get started pretty soon….Darien?"  
  
Amy looked confused. "What about him?"  
  
"There he is!" Serena exclaimed. She was right. Darien was jogging up the path to where the scouts were. Serena was a bit confused. She had been with him on his morning jogging route, and it usually didn't go this way. She ran up to him anyway. "Darien! How are you?"  
  
"Hi Serena, everybody," he said, motioning toward her friends. "You're all here. Is anything wrong?"  
  
"You came just at the right time," said Luna. "Serena's broach was stolen last night. We're afraid it might be a new enemy."  
  
Darien was shocked. He knew something wrong, but he never imagined it would be this bad. He put on a guise for the scouts to show them he wasn't worried. "That's awful," he replied. He reached out for Serena to console her. Serena happily took him up on the offer. "Do you know who took it?"  
  
"We couldn't tell," Serena explained. "It was dressed in all black, and had a woman's voice."  
  
"That should narrow it down a bit if 'she' decides to attack again," Darien suggested.  
  
Mina came forward to the two of them. "Not to interrupt, but Lita and I came up with a plan," she said. "While the rest of you are tracking down the crystal, we'll keep an eye out if any monsters come from the sky, or something."  
  
"Yeah," added Lita. "We'll watch from the rooftops and get a good eye-view."  
  
"That's a great idea, Mina," said Artemis. "Just remember to be careful up there on those high ledges!"  
  
"We will," said Mina.  
  
"I think I can help you on that," Darien suggested.  
  
"Great," said Lita. "The more lookouts, the better."  
  
"Oh, Darien," said Serena, starting to kid around, "you're not going to leave a small, helpless, fair lady down here all by herself, are you?" She pretended to faint, overacting badly.  
  
"Don't worry, Meatball-head," said Darien. "You'll be okay."  
  
Serena gave him the evil eye, knowing she didn't like being called Meatball-head. But coming from Darien, she didn't seem to mind as much.  
  
"Well, shall we get started?" suggested Amy.  
  
"Oh, alright," said Serena, brushing the leaves and grass off her clothes.  
  
"Good luck to you all," wished Luna.  
  
Raye left back to her house as Lita and Mina pulled out their transformation wands.  
  
"JUPITER STAR POWER!"  
  
"VENUS STAR POWER!"  
  
Within a flash of light and ribbons, they became Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus. "Catch you later guys," said Jupiter as they bolted toward the city to keep watch. Artemis tagged along.  
  
"Well, Amy I guess that leaves us," said Serena.  
  
"Right," Amy responded. "Let's head over to your house, now."  
  
"Okay," said Serena. "Luna, you coming?"  
  
"I'll be along in a minute," Luna shouted back.  
  
As Serena and Amy left, Darien started to take his leave too, but Luna stopped him. "Hold on a minute, Darien."  
  
"What is it, Luna?" asked a puzzled Darien.  
  
"I always wanted to ask you this," she said. "It seems that every time you join the Sailor Scouts on a fight, you just appear out of nowhere, and with no warning. How do you know when and where a fight is going to be?"  
  
Darien didn't want to give too much away. "I have my ways," he said in a mysterious tone. "Besides, it's just my style."  
  
"Come on, Darien," Luna demanded. "You're a master of keeping secrets. Just let me in on this one. I won't tell Serena, if that's what's bothering you."  
  
Darien said nothing for a moment, trying to decide if he should tell her. Finally he conceded. "Okay," he said. "It may sound weird, but here goes. It seems that every time Serena's in trouble, I get this weird feeling over me. It's like we have a special bond, or something like that. I can just sense where and when to appear." He lowered his head just a tad. "That's how I knew to come here."  
  
Luna smiled. "I don't see what's so silly about that. You have a bond that has lasted throughout time. I can't blame you." She raised her head. "However, if worse comes to worse, I want to give you this."  
  
Luna proceeded to do a backwards somersault. In the process, something materialized out of thin air. A black object fell to the ground as Luna landed. She picked up the object, and handed it to Darien.  
  
"What is this?" he asked. He flipped the contraption open. "It looks like an electronic organizer."  
  
"It's more than that," said Luna. "It's a communicator." She proceeded to explain to him how it worked. "You see, by pressing this button, the top part becomes a screen, and by pressing these symbols on the bottom will enable you to call the respective Sailor Scouts." She was pointing to the planet symbols on the bottom.  
  
"Thanks, Luna," said Darien. "I really appreciate it."  
  
"Your welcome," said Luna. "I'd better go join Serena and Amy, now."  
  
She ran away, feeling proud as Darien headed towards the rooftops, a red rose clutched in his hand…  
  
NEXT TIME, ON "RETURN OF THE JEDITE"...  
  
Lilithite manages to awaken Jedite...just not the way she intended. And the hunt is on for the Imperium Silver Crystal! 


	2. Chapters 03 and 04

RETURN OF THE JEDITE  
by Tuxedo Alex  
  
AUTHORS NOTES  
  
This story is supposed to provide an alternate story line to the Sailor Moon series. It starts after the Sailor Moon R series ends (the Death Phantom is destroyed and Rini goes home to Crystal Tokyo). The next events are of my own creation and do not relate to the Sailor Moon S series (at least not intentionally).  
  
I finished this fanfic over a year ago, before the S and SuperS seasons were dubbed in America. Please excuse any attack names that are DiC-ish, because that is what I had to work with at the time. ;) This story, after looking back, seems a cross between Japanese and American references. So, please excuse the term "Negaverse" as opposed to "Dark Kingdom", because the story focuses on Jedite.  
  
Yes, I wrote "Scouts" instead of "Senshi" as well. My intentions are on the side of good, however, as I rectify this later on in the story!  
  
Also, each part posted here will contain two chapters.  
  
Anyway, please enjoy the story!  
  
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LAST TIME...  
  
Lilithite had broken into the Tsukino household, and made off with the Imperium Silver Crystal! Lilithite escaped and teleported back to where Jedite was located, for his immediate resurrection. The Sailor Scouts met the following morning and organized a search. Darien also arrived, and left with his very own communicator.  
  
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CHAPTER 3  
  
Lilithite appeared once more in front of the green crystal that imprisoned Jedite. A twisted smirk appeared upon her face. "Oh, Jedite, I've been successful!" she exclaimed with joy. "I have retrieved the Imperium Silver Crystal!"  
  
She held it high above her head as if it was a trophy. In fact, it was a trophy to her. It represented all the failed attempts Queen Beryl tried to steal the crystal to the one attempt Lilithite made. And now, she would use her prize to release the evil that grew over time in the prison crystal. She knew that the longer the demons remained imprisoned in the crystals, their power and rage increased. If they were ever to be released again, they would be at least twice as strong as they already were; maybe even more so.  
  
"Now, let's see," she muttered to herself, "how do I work this. Maybe if I yell out the right command." She raised the crystal high into the air and began to shout random commands (and various curses when they didn't work). Finally, she came across something that worked; to an extent. "Imperium Crystal!" she shouted. "Free this tortured soul from his bonds! Cast his soul into freedom!"  
  
The crystal flared with a bright light, and a beam of energy hit Jedite's crystal with full force. When the beam ended, and the light cleared, the crystal still stood, without a scratch.  
  
"I don't believe this!" she shouted. "It was supposed to work!"  
  
"Who awoke me from my slumber?" a voice boomed.  
  
This startled her greatly. She did not know where the voice came from. She looked to her left, than to her right. No one was there. Finally, she cast a glance back to Jedite. His position had shifted in the crystal. "Jedite?!?" she said, puzzled.  
  
"You're the one who's awoken me?"  
  
That voice definitely came from the crystal. She took a step forward, and realized a great thing. Jedite was moving inside the crystal.  
  
"Y-y-y-esss-s-s-s," Lilithite stuttered. "I woke you up,"  
  
Jedite took a look at his surroundings. He still was trapped inside the crystal, yet he could move. Something must have happened, because no one could have awoken Beryl's deep sleep without the….  
  
"What did you wake me with?" said Jedite.  
  
"With this," said Lilithite, holding up her prize. "The Imperium Silver Crystal."  
  
Jedite stared at her wide-eyed. "You retrieved the Silver Crystal? How did you do it? How did it form? What has happened since I was trapped in here!?" He put his hands on the crystal wall. "I must know!!!"  
  
"A lot has happened since then, Jedite," she said as she prepared to explain the events after his imprisonment….  
  
@@@@@  
  
"So Queen Beryl is dead?" he muttered in astonishment.  
  
"Yes, Jedite," said Lilithite, "and I've done what she could not. Retrieve this crystal!"  
  
"Amazing," said Jedite, at a loss for words. "I commend you."  
  
"And once you are free," she continued, "We'll rule the Negaverse together!"  
  
"An excellent idea….Lilithite, right?" he asked.  
  
"Right," she said. "But one thing is wrong. The Imperium Crystal didn't destroy the your prison crystal. It only woke you up."  
  
"I may have the answer to that," Jedite replied. "The crystal is encased in this trinket owned by the Sailor Brat. If we can remove it, than I'll have a chance at true freedom."  
  
"That's easy," said Lilithite with glee. "I'll just destroy this piece of junk surrounding it, than I'll use it again to free you!"  
  
"You can't destroy it," said Jedite with some scorn in his voice. "Not like you would destroy another trinket. However…"  
  
"What?" Lilithite interrupted.   
  
"You might be able to destroy it with a great amount of energy," said Jedite.  
  
"Energy!?" she cried. "No offense, but I think that's a stupid plan! Nearly all our attempts to collect energy have failed miserably! We open up a charm shop, or a fake contest, or something along those lines, and all the attempts fail! There has to be another way!"  
  
Jedite thought for a moment. "You're right," he said. "Our current methods of collecting energy are very primitive. We must find a new way."  
  
The next few minutes were devoted to thought as Jedite and Lilithite tried to think of a plan to gather energy. Jedite, however, could not concentrate on the subject at hand. All his thoughts focused on revenge and hatred towards Sailor Moon. Because of her, all his attempts failed miserably. Most of his thoughts drifted toward the jet plane incident. When he failed to destroy her that time, Queen Beryl froze him in time. Eventhough he knew her secret identity.  
  
"I got it!" Lilithite suddenly blurted out.  
  
Jedite was so into his train of thought, he forgot what they were thinking of when he was brought out of it. "Got what?" he muttered.  
  
"An energy plan. Remember?"  
  
Jedite suddenly remembered what they were trying to come up with. "Oh, right," he said. "What is your plan?"  
  
"The Sailor Scouts themselves use great amounts of energy when they attack us. Why don't we gather energy from them?"  
  
Jedite was shocked. Even he himself had neglected the obvious in his plans. He never thought of channeling energy from the Scouts themselves. "My word, Lilithite, there may be hope for you in the Negaverse yet!"  
  
Lilithite blushed slightly. "Thank you, Jedite," she said back. "When should I leave to gather this energy?"  
  
"As soon as possible," shouted Jedite, almost sounding like giving an order. "I have an old score to settle with that ditz, Sailor Moon!"  
  
"As you command," she uttered as she disappeared into the mist.  
  
Jedite just stood in his spot, laughing silently to himself. "Soon, Sailor Moon, you and your Scouts will be finished forever! HA HA HA HA!"  
  
CHAPTER 4  
  
"Serena, this way!"  
  
Serena tried desperately to catch up to Amy and Luna. Amy locked onto an energy signature with her computer. The signature led down from Serena's bedroom to a few blocks down the road. Those few blocks were very taxing on Serena's feet. She couldn't keep up. "Come on, Amy," she wined. "My feet are killing me! We must have walked twenty blocks, already!"  
  
"Quit whining!" snapped Luna. "I've counted only five or six blocks. And besides, do you want to get your crystal back, or not?"  
  
"Oh, all right," muttered Serena. She knew that she had to get her crystal back. And for that, she would walk through fire itself. She just wished that it wouldn't be that hard.  
  
"Wait a minute," said Amy abruptly. She turned her head toward Serena. "The energy levels are raising at alarming rates. I think we found it!"  
  
Serena poked her head up. She then ran over and grabbed Amy's shirt. "Where? Where is it!" she said frantically.   
  
"Calm down," Amy yelled, dropping Serena on the ground. "The readings are coming from this alley."  
  
Serena picked herself up and hobbled on over after Amy. Amy kept typing away on the computer as they entered the alleyway. "Let's see," began Amy, "the readings get stronger, and stronger, and…this is odd."  
  
"What is it?" asked Luna.  
  
"The energy is completely gone in the middle of the alley."  
  
Serena was confused. "What do you mean?"  
  
"What I mean is that the energy levels keep getting stronger up to a point. Then, when the energy levels reach their peak, they drop to total zero if we go a few steps past it."  
  
"Are the energy levels anywhere near what the Silver Crystal would produce?" asked Luna eagerly.  
  
"No," Amy responded. "But I just can't understand why the energy would drop to zero."  
  
Serena began to think. "Wait a minute," she said. "What if whoever stole it decided to disappear, or teleport, or something? Would that be a good reason?"  
  
Amy thought for a moment, and punched in the theory into her computer. "You know," she began again, "I think Serena might be on to something here. I'm scanning for more energy trails."  
  
Amy punched in more data and new results appeared on the screen. Her screen filled with displays of different energy trails. The crystal's trail turned up a silver color. Serena's and Luna's trails turned up pink. Amy's was blue. However, there seemed to be a mysterious brown trail that was unknown…  
  
"You're right, Serena," said Amy. "There's another energy trail here. The directions of that and the crystal's energy seem to be converging." She stepped over near one of the alley walls. "This trail seems to become erratic here. This definitely shows signs of teleportation."  
  
The computer then started to beep loudly. "Oh, no!" Amy shouted.  
  
"What is it?" cried Luna and Serena in alarm.  
  
"This energy trail belongs to a…Negaverse monster!"  
  
"What?" screamed Luna.  
  
Upon hearing this, Serena became fed up. "Oooooooh, that did it!" she shouted. She began shouting to the sky. "You Negaverse creep! Give me back my crystal! I want to be Sailor Moon again!" She fell to her knees and burst out crying. It wasn't the "whiney" cry the Scouts got sick of quick, but a softer cry.  
  
Luna didn't know what to say. She wanted to comfort, and yell at her for yelling out her secret identity all at the same time. Amy came up to Serena, and put her hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Serena," she said. "We'll get the Imperium Crystal back. We promise."  
  
Looking through her tears, she saw Amy's smiling face. She began to smile, too. "Thanks, Amy," Serena said. "I needed that."  
  
@@@@@  
  
Molly and Melvin walked side by side, enjoying eachother's company. "It's sure nice to get out of the house during the summer, isn't it Molly," said Melvin.  
  
"You can sur-ah say that again," Molly responded.  
  
Without warning, they heard an earsplitting scream. "You Negaverse creep! Give me back my crystal! I want to be Sailor Moon again!" the voice said.  
  
"Was that Serena?" asked Melvin.  
  
"Did I just hear her say…" Molly started.  
  
"….what I thought I heard her say?" Melvin finished.  
  
They both looked at eachother, looking for an answer. "Nah," they both remarked as they headed on their way.  
  
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Raye knelt in front of the sacred flame, holding her hands in pray. She began a silent prayer to the fire spirits, asking them for guidance in her quest for knowledge.  
  
"Please," she said in her mind. "show me the way to the Imperium Silver Crystal. I must seek the answers to find it. The earth could be in great danger. Who has the crystal? What do they intend to do with it? I must know, great Fire Spirit. Please."  
  
The flame seemed to reach new heights as Raye asked her questions. Suddenly, pictures seemed to flash in Raye's mind. This didn't seem to make sense at first, but within a few minutes, they all came together. First, a picture of the crystal flared in her mind for an instant. Next, a picture of a beautiful female warrior. She was blonde, dressed in a shimmering blue dress. A third picture flashed with the form of her first Negaverse enemy, Jedite. Then, the pictures began to appear faster, and blur together. Within these images, she received much information. The Imperium Silver Crystal was used by the female warrior to somehow revive Jedite, and Jedite was destroying the symbols of the planets. She could only assume that these symbols were representing the Sailor Scouts.  
  
Raye seemed to wake up from the prayer as if she woke from a dream. She took a minute or two to get her bearings, and then what she saw sunk in. She pulled out her wrist communicator, and attempted to call someone.  
  
@@@@@  
  
"Do you see anything yet, Venus?"  
  
"Not yet, Jupiter."  
  
The two Sailor Scouts (Artemis with Venus) leaped from rooftop to rooftop, keeping watch for anything suspicious. They set their communicators to keep in constant contact with eachother.   
  
"Where are you now, Venus," Jupiter said into her communicator.  
  
"I think I'm over the 1st National Bank of Tokyo," Venus responded. "Did you get any word from the other guys yet?"  
  
"Not yet," said Jupiter. Her view screen started to flash. "Hold on, I'm getting something now." A new image came onto her screen, but it wasn't any of the Sailor Scouts.  
  
"…Hello?….Is anyone there?" the voice rang out.  
  
Jupiter was confused. "That sounds like Tuxedo Mask's voice!"  
  
"It is," he said. The image was clear now. The face that was shown was one of a man in a top hat, his eyes shielded by a white mask. "Luna gave me a communicator of my own," he stated. "Did you hear anything from the other Scouts?"  
  
"Not yet," remarked Venus. All five Scouts (now including Tuxedo Mask) were able to talk on the same channel at once. "Where's your location?"  
  
"I'm on the roof of the hospital," he said. The screen blurred for a second before returning to his face. "You'll have to excuse me," said Tuxedo Mask. "I'm getting used to this."  
  
"It's alright," said Jupiter. "Don't be embarrassed…hold on, someone else is coming through."  
  
A new face appeared onto the screen. It was Raye. "Hi guys," she said in a shaky tone of voice.  
  
"Are you alright?" asked Venus in concern.  
  
"Yeah, right," said Raye, taking a deep breath. "I received some answers from the fire spirits."  
  
"It doesn't sound like good news," said Tuxedo Mask, worried.  
  
"Tuxedo Mask?" asked Raye. "You have a communicator?"  
  
"Luna gave me one," he said, explaining once again. "I'm on the watch with Sailor Venus and Jupiter."  
  
"Anyway," Raye began, "I'm not sure what this all means, but I think the theft of the crystal might set off a chain reaction that might…be the end of us!"  
  
Everyone listening was shocked by this. "This is bad," said Artemis. "We should call up the other Scouts and let them hear this from Raye's mouth."  
  
"Right," said Venus, activating the channels to Amy and Serena.  
  
@@@@@  
  
Serena jumped to her feet when she heard her communicator beep. "Hold on," she said. "It's the guys. Maybe they have some answers."  
  
Amy and Serena activated their communicators to be greeted by a vision of Tuxedo Mask. "Greetings, Serena," he said boldly.   
  
"Tuxedo Mask!" Serena shouted with glee. "Since when did you have a communicator?"  
  
"Since Luna gave one to me," he responded.  
  
Forgetting her situation for a moment, Serena fell in a joyous dream world. "Oh, wow, now we can talk to eachother anytime we want!"  
  
"Oh, I was afraid this would happen!" sighed Luna, remembering her only objection for both Serena and Darien having a communicator. "Wake up, Serena!"  
  
Serena snapped out of the dream world. "Oh, right," she said.  
  
"What's up guys?" asked Amy.  
  
"Raye talked to the fire spirits. She's going to explain everything she knows to us," remarked Venus. The picture shifted to Raye's head. She took a deep breath, and began to explain her visions.  
  
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There was a long silence when Raye finished her findings. No one was sure what to say. From what they gathered, the Imperium Silver Crystal would be used against them to destroy them. And the crystal was to be used by Jedite! Not only have the Scouts thought he was Negatrash, but Sailor Jupiter and Venus had no experience fighting him. Those two didn't know what to expect. The silence was broken by Serena. "Is there anything we can do to stop this?" she asked nervously.  
  
"I…I don't know," Raye answered. "I can only tell what the fire spirits showed me."  
  
"Well, we better keep on our toes at all times," Artemis said. "We don't want our enemies to take us by surprise."  
  
"Good idea," said Jupiter.  
  
"Amy," said Venus, "have you and Serena found out anything about the crystal?"  
  
"All, I could tell from my calculations was that an enemy teleported away with the crystal before we could get to it," Amy responded. "And to make matters worse, the enemy signature came from the Negaverse!"  
  
The other three Scouts gasped. "Could this mean that Raye's vision could be a reality?" asked a startled Jupiter.  
  
"It just might be," Tuxedo Mask said.  
  
"Well, like Artemis said," started Luna, "we have to keep on our toes and…" A high pitched sound cut her off. "Does anyone hear something?"  
  
Everyone on the communicator channel shook their heads. All except Serena. "Wait a minute," she said, and paused. "I hear it, too."  
  
From behind Serena, Amy, and Luna, a portal started to open. Within it, stood Lilithite. Luna turned around and saw her just in time. "Serena!" she shouted. "Behind you!"  
  
Serena and Amy turned around to see the woman who stole the crystal. "Well, if it isn't the artist formally known as Sailor Moon!" she smirked as the portal started to close. "I'll enjoy removing you off the face of this miserable planet!"  
  
"Guys!" Serena shouted into her communicator frantically. "We need back-up now!"  
  
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NEXT TIME...  
  
A great battle begins to ensue over the Imperium Silver Crystal! The four remaining Sailor Soldiers converge to attack! Will they get the Imperium Silver Crystal back? Only time will tell...  



	3. Chapters 05 and 06

RETURN OF THE JEDITE  
by Tuxedo Alex  
  
AUTHORS NOTES  
  
Whoops, I forgot the general disclaimers for a moment...rights to Sailor Moon is owned by Naoko Taceuchi, Kondansha Publishing, Toei, DiC, Optimum Productions, Cloverway...am I forgetting anything?  
  
This story is supposed to provide an alternate story line to the Sailor Moon series. It starts after the Sailor Moon R series ends (the Death Phantom is destroyed and Rini goes home to Crystal Tokyo). The next events are of my own creation and do not relate to the Sailor Moon S series (at least not intentionally).  
  
I finished this fanfic over a year ago, before the S and SuperS seasons were dubbed in America. Please excuse any attack names that are DiC-ish, because that is what I had to work with at the time. ;) This story, after looking back, seems a cross between Japanese and American references. So, please excuse the term "Negaverse" as opposed to "Dark Kingdom", because the story focuses on Jedite.  
  
Yes, I wrote "Scouts" instead of "Senshi" as well. My intentions are on the side of good, however, as I rectify this later on in the story!  
  
Also, each part posted here will contain two chapters.  
  
Anyway, please enjoy the story!  
  
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CHAPTER 5  
  
From Jupiter's standpoint, her communicator started to buzz, and then cut off abruptly. She heard Serena's cry for help, but didn't know where she was. For a few minutes she thought of where Serena and Amy might be. She then heard a voice cry out from behind her. "Sailor Jupiter!" the voice said.  
  
She turned around. It was Sailor Venus. Artemis trailed along behind her. She was a few buildings away, so it took her a bit to jump from roof to roof. "Boy, it took us forever to find you!" she said, gasping for breath. "Did your communicator cut off?"  
  
"Yeah, it did," she responded. "I don't know how it happened."  
  
"Me neither," said Venus, tossing some hair from her face that had been blown carelessly by the wind. "Anyway, I saw Serena and Amy on the way here. I thought I'd get to you first so we'd have strength in numbers."  
  
"Good idea, Venus!" said Jupiter, getting herself ready for her next battle. "Lead the way!"  
  
"This way!" shouted Artemis, pointing to where Serena and Amy were. The two Sailor Scouts quickly followed.  
  
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Lilithite stood over the two teenage girls and the black cat with glee. She knew she had the upper hand. All she needed to do was have the proper blocks fall into place. "This will be the easiest battle the Negaverse has won!" she cackled.  
  
"Serena," said Amy, "I'll take her on. You take cover."  
  
Serena could only nod in agreement. She knew she couldn't do much without her broach, so she and Luna left the alleyway.  
  
"The Negaverse will never win!" shouted Amy, transformation stick in hand. "MERCURY STAR POWER!"  
  
Ribbons that flowed like water surrounded Amy, encasing her in her Sailor Mercury costume. "I am Sailor Mercury!" she shouted. "Champion of Justice!"  
  
"That skimpy outfit doesn't scare me!" Lilithite shouted. Her left hand glowed with a greenish light. "I can fight you with one hand tied around my back!" Her hand glowed brighter, and proceeded to fire an energy blast at Sailor Mercury.  
  
Mercury dodged the blast with ease. "But you can't fight what you can't see!" she shouted back at the enemy. "Mercury Bubbles….BLAST!" A huge fog was created from a blue ball of energy that Sailor Mercury created. The mist surrounded everything in the area, blocking Lilithite's vision.  
  
"You really think this cloud's gonna stop me?" shouted Lilithite. "You are so misguided!" Her right hand glowed red as a fireball sprung forth from it. The fire burned the surrounding mist, revealing the lone Sailor Scout once again. "You can't camouflage yourself very well, can you?" she laughed as she readied another attack with her green hand.  
  
"Mercury Ice Storm….BLAST!" shouted Mercury. Huge bubbles surrounded Lilithite's hand, freezing it completely.   
  
"ARRRGGGHHH!" Lilithite screamed. "You can't beat me!" she shouted as her right hand began to melt the left one free.  
  
@@@@@  
  
Raye had let her instincts follow her to where the enemy was. When her communicator cut off, she started to get "bad vibes," and headed in the direction of the fight. When she reached the alley, she saw Serena and Luna first.   
  
"Raye!" shouted Serena. "Thank goodness your here. Amy's having a tough time holding off this Nega-creep!"  
  
"All right!" Raye shouted as she pulled out her transformation stick. "MARS STAR POWER!"  
  
Ribbons of fire surrounded Raye, transforming her into Sailor Mars. As she was transforming, Mercury was trying her best to hold off the evil female warrior. She successfully melted the ice surrounding her hand. "Now that I melted the ice," she cackled, "it's time to melt the ice cube!" She pointed her right hand at Mercury, firing a huge fireball.  
  
Mercury tried her best to dodge, but the fireball still connected with her right arm. She fell to one knee, clutching it in pain.  
  
Lilithite laughed her head off at this site, until she heard a voice behind her. "Hey, Neganerd!"  
  
She turned around to find another bothersome Sailor Scout. "If you like fire, than you can have it! Mars Celestial Fire….SURROUND!"  
  
Eight fireballs surrounded her body, and were launched at the enemy. Lilithite managed to dodge most of them, but there were still two that caught her off guard, hitting her in the legs. "That'll teach you to mess with my friends! I am Sailor Mars!" she said while gesturing.  
  
"Gee, I kinda gathered!" yelled Lilithite as her left hand fired another bolt of green energy. This caught Sailor Mars in the stomach. The wind knocked out of her, she fell to the ground. Lilithite began to walk toward her, hobbling slightly, her green hand glowing again. She raised her hand in the air, as if she was preparing a final blow.  
  
"Venus Love Chain…ENCIRCLE!"  
  
From out of nowhere, a golden chain wrapped around Lilithite's raised hand, ensnaring it. "What's this?" she cried out. "What's going on?!?"  
  
"Jupiter Thunder Clap….ZAP!"  
  
A huge ball of lightning streaked toward the ensnared Lilithite, exploding on contact . It was her turn to fall to the ground. After she fell, she stared up at the rooftops to see two more figures.  
  
"You Negatrash will never prevail! I am Sailor Jupiter!" shouted the first.  
  
"The Imperium Silver Crystal is ours! I am Sailor Venus!" shouted the other.  
  
Both scouts jumped off the rooftops and onto the ground below. The other scouts joined them. "We're the Sailor Scouts!" they all announced. "Give us back the Imperium Silver Crystal!"  
  
"In a pigs eye!" shouted Lilithite as she came to her feet once more. "The crystal belongs to the Negaverse now! You'll never see it again! HAHAHAHAHA!"  
  
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Serena could only watch as the Sailor Scouts fought the enemy. She felt useless without her powers. "Oh, Luna, I feel like I have to do something! I just can't stand around here forever!"  
  
Artemis came to join the two bystanders when the last two Scouts arrived. "I know it's hard, Serena," he said, "but it's the best thing right now."  
  
"Yes," Luna agreed, "the best thing to do is wait until the Imperium Crystal is returned."  
  
"But I can't wait that long!" Serena whined.  
  
"There might be something you can do," said a voice behind her.  
  
She turned around to see a familiar face. "Tuxedo Mask!" she shouted.  
  
"I have a plan to create a diversion," he said to her. "Do you have any discus' of any kind?"  
  
Serena was confused. "I have a Frisbee," she said. "Why?"  
  
"I'll need it," he said bluntly. "I'll meet you by your house in a half-hour."  
  
Serena nodded, then took off toward her house. "Wait," she heard Tuxedo Mask beckon.  
  
She turned her head once more. "Don't ever feel useless or under-appreciated," he said. "You'll always have a place in my heart." With that said, he disappeared.  
  
"Oooohhhhhh," Serena swooned. "I love it when he does that!" She just stood in place, heart-eyed and spellbound.  
  
It took both cats to bring her out this time. "Serena!" they screamed.  
  
"Oh, right," she said, somewhat embarrassed. "Okay, I gotta go to my house, and get my Frisbee. You two stay here and keep me posted," she said, referring to the cats.  
  
"Right," said Luna, as Serena ran off into the distance. When she was gone, her head hung low. "Oh, I hope she doesn't have a klutz attack, hit her head, and forget what she's supposed to do."  
  
"Don't worry," said Artemis, "Serena would go great lengths not to klutz out just to impress Darien." Both cats gave eachother a half-hearted smile as they turned their attention back to the fight.  
  
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Lilithite and the Sailor Scouts began a huge standoff. All enemies were standing in battle ready positions, waiting for the other side to make the first move. Both sides seemed to carry a mutual respect for eachother's abilities. But the respect ended there.  
  
Finally, Sailor Jupiter couldn't wait any longer. She held her arms across her chest as an antenna once again sprung from her tiara. "Jupiter Thunder…."  
  
But before she could finish the spell, Lilithite sprang from view. Jupiter stopped in the middle to see Lilithite jump onto the rooftops. "I'm going after her!" she shouted abruptly.  
  
"No, Sailor Jupiter!" shouted Mercury. "It's too dangerous!"  
  
"We have to get the Silver Crystal back somehow!" she said back. Without another word, Jupiter had gone after her.  
  
Upon the rooftops once again, Jupiter chased Lilithite to a vacant lot. The other three Sailor Scouts could only follow. Once Lilithite reached the final building before the lot, she turned to view her green skirted adversary. "You don't honestly think you can beat me, do you?" cackled the confident female warrior.  
  
"Your terror ends here!" Jupiter shouted. Her arms were once again across her chest. "Jupiter Thunder….CRASH!"  
  
A bolt of lightning struck her antenna, and then was directed toward her adversary. However, it never struck the intended target. While Jupiter was casting the spell, Lilithite held out an odd shaped crystal. The crystal seemed to absorb the entire lightning bolt with ease. "Well, what you know," said Lilithite, "my energy absorption crystal works!"  
  
It took a moment to register in Sailor Jupiter's mind, but she quickly retaliated. "It won't protect you from bare knuckle fighting!" she shouted as she leaped into the air, preparing to do a jump kick. Lilithite knew this was coming, so she ducked under it and moved to a new position. When Jupiter landed, she was near the edge of the roof.  
  
"Now," smirked Lilithite, "you'll feel the full effects of the crystal!" She held her crystal into the air as it pulsed a bright blue. The crystal shot a beam of pure energy onto the unsuspecting Sailor Scout. The energy caught her off guard, sending her off the roof, and onto the vacant lot ten stories below.  
  
The remaining Scouts came too late to help her. "Sailor Jupiter!" they all shouted. She was laying at the end of the lot. Lilithite appeared to meet them at the middle.  
  
"You fools!" Lilithite shouted. "If your friend is any clue to you, you'll never beat me!"  
  
"Your the fool!" Sailor Mars shouted back. "All right guys," she motioned to the other Scouts, "hit her with everything you got! Mars Celestial Fire…."  
  
"Shine Aqua…."  
  
"Venus Love Chain…."  
  
The spells weren't finished. Lilithite held the crystal out once again, and fired three energy disks. They enclosed around the Sailor Scout's bodies, pinning their arms to their sides.  
  
"Now I shall drain all your energy to free my beloved!" she shouted. The disks glowed an eerie green. The energy of the three Scouts started to leave their bodies and began to pour into the crystal as water poured into a cup. Lilithite laughed in glee, thinking she had won. Yet she failed to notice a stirring figure behind her…  
  
CHAPTER 6  
  
Serena ran out of her house, Frisbee in hand. "Okay, I got what I need," she said to herself, checking her watch quickly. "All right, it's about three minutes until the half hour is up. Where's Tuxedo Mask?"  
  
Her question was soon answered. From out of nowhere came a huge, black object that streaked toward her house. When it stopped, a man in a black turtleneck shirt, green jacket, and khaki pants on a black motorcycle appeared. Serena just stood in her place, spellbound once again next to her dreamhunk. He held out a rose, and threw it dart-style at her feet. "Place this on the Frisbee." he said.  
  
Serena picked up the rose, and did as Darien asked, still somewhat dazed. When the rose was placed onto the Frisbee, it flared a red light, and the entire disk began to glow red. This snapped her out of it pretty quick. "What happened?" she asked.  
  
"This is our diversion," he said. "When we get close enough to Lilithite, we throw the disk at her. It doesn't matter what it does, but it will give the Sailor Scouts enough time to defeat her." Serena nodded her head, understanding what he explained. "Here, put this on," he said, tossing a large object to her. It was a motorcycle helmet.  
  
"A bike helmet?" she asked, confused. "What for?"  
  
"I'm giving you a ride," said Darien, fixing his helmet.  
  
"WHAT?" screamed Serena. "Are you crazy?"  
  
"We have to get to where the Scouts are, and fast," he said bluntly. "This is the only way."  
  
"Oh, all right," she said, reluctantly putting on the helmet, fastening the straps so it would fit. Frisbee in tow, she sat behind Darien, her arms clutched tightly around his waist. "But I warn you," she said. "I've never ridden a motorcyyyyyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" she screamed, holding on for dear life, as they streaked off into the distance.  
  
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Lilithite laughed as the Sailor Scouts writhed in pain in front of her. "Mercury," said a weak Sailor Mars, "can you….break free?"  
  
"I can't," responded Mercury. "It's too strong…for me."  
  
"Getting….weaker," muttered Venus.  
  
Lilithite let loose a howling laugh. "You never stood a chance!" she shouted.  
  
Behind her, Jupiter stood on her hands and knees. The fall really took a lot out of her. She was surprised that Lilithite was concentrating on the other three Scouts. "She must think I'm dead or something," she thought to herself. She tried to block out the pain as best she could. Even her ponytail became undone, leaving her hair loose about her shoulders.  
  
She tried to get up, but she saw something in the distance. She focused her vision enough to see what looked to be a motorcycle. "That looks like Tuxedo Mask," she thought. She had to shield her eyes for a bit, because a red flash of lightning appeared before her eyes. When she opened them, a red rose stood in place. "Now I know it's him!" she thought.  
  
@@@@@  
  
"Sailor Jupiter received the message," Tuxedo Mask shouted to his passenger. He had transformed along the way. "Are you okay back there?"  
  
The motor cycle was slowing down now, much to the enjoyment of Serena. She was literally green from the sheer speeds they were traveling. "Uggghhhh…" she muttered. "I think I'm gonna throw up!"  
  
The motorcycle stopped a few yards from the vacant lot where the Scouts were. Lilithite was so wrapped up in her energy draining that she didn't even notice. "Now is our chance," said Tuxedo Mask. "Throw the disk!"  
  
Serena, as sick as she was, pulled the red, glowing disk from under her seat. She jumped off the motorcycle, and took careful aim at her target. Serena couldn't believe that this witch was draining the energy out of her friends for her own uses. She prepared to throw the disk, but an idea came to her. "Aw, what the heck!" she said. "Moon Tiara….MAGIC!" she shouted as she hurled the disk through the air.  
  
Serena's yelling caught the attention of Lilithite, who turned her head to face them. "What's going…" she shouted. Her words were cut short by the large red disk, which slammed into her torso, knocking into the ground.  
  
The energy draining stopped, the rings trapping the three Sailor Scouts disappeared. "Ser…ena?" muttered Sailor Mars.  
  
"Tuxedo….Mask?" stuttered Sailor Venus.  
  
The two figures came to stand by their friends. "Are you alright?" asked a concerned Serena.  
  
"Well," began Mars, "having about half of the energy drained out of you isn't what I would exactly call 'alright'!" She began to stumble her feet, as did the other Scouts  
  
"Well, sorry!" muttered Serena under her breath.  
  
Tuxedo Mask arrived next. "What happened to Sailor Jupiter?" he asked. "She was down when I first saw her."  
  
"She took a bad fall," Mercury explained, on her feet as well. "She's standing now. Lilithite doesn't know," she said in a whisper tone of voice. Serena's gaze turned to Sailor Jupiter. She was standing, preparing another attack.  
  
Lilithite scrambled to her feet, holding the now cracked crystal in her hand. "You'll pay for that, Moon ditz! Both you and that caped dork you call a boyfriend" she shouted, raising her crystal up high. The crystal started to glow a bright blue once again. She was preparing to fire another energy beam; a bigger one this time.  
  
Sailor Jupiter saw the crack in the crystal. "If I time it just right," she thought, "it should shatter into a million pieces!" She crossed her arms across her chest once again, as an antenna rose from her tiara. "Jupiter Thunder….CRASH!"  
  
Lilithite didn't even notice the lightning bolt until it was too late. The bolt hit her back, electrocuting her once more. The energy crystal was also hit. It stopped glowing, and, as Sailor Jupiter predicted, shattered.  
  
The energy the crystal had gathered now dispersed into four individual beams. These beams traveled to the Sailor Scouts, entering in their tiaras. Sailor Mercury was the first to notice. "Hey," she shouted. "With the crystal gone, our energy is returning!"  
  
The rest of the Scouts began to feel a huge rush of adrenaline with the return of their energy. "Now it's time to kick some Negaverse butt!" shouted Sailor Venus. "Venus Love Chain….ENCIRCLE!"  
  
A chain of linked hearts flowed around her body, and was shot towards Lilithite. The chain rapped around Lilithite's torso, squeezing her tight. Venus then motioned the chain to rise in the air, which it did. This raised Lilithite in the air as well, suspending her in mid-air. "You turn, guys!" shouted Venus.  
  
"All right!" shouted Jupiter. "Jupiter Thunder Clap….ZAP!"  
  
A huge ball of lightning was created in her hands, and was thrown toward the trapped target. The lightning struck on target once again, and once again giving Lilithite a shock. She was powerless to retaliate.  
  
"My turn!" shouted Sailor Mercury. "Shine Aqua….ILLUSION!"  
  
A huge sphere of condensed water and ice formed above her hands, and was fired toward Lilithite. Still suspended in the chain, the ice ball collided with Lilithite, trapping her in a giant ball of ice.  
  
This proved too heavy for Sailor Venus, still supporting the chain. "I can't…hold her…up there…much longer," she said, struggling. "Mars, I hope you don't mind hitting a moving target!"  
  
"Moving, still, what's the difference?" Mars responded. "They all wind up moondust in the end!" She turned towards Serena, who was watching from a few feet away, and winked. Serena returned the favor with a smile. "Mars Celestial Fire….SURROUND!"  
  
The chain gave way just as Sailor Mars completed her spell. Lilithite fell from the sky, still encased in the ice. As Venus suggested, the fireballs and the enemy slammed together halfway from the ground, shattering the ice and burning the enemy at the same time. When the smoke cleared, Lilithite showed no signs of movement. She just lied on the ground, motionless.  
  
"YES!" shouted Serena. "I knew you guys could do it!" She ran up to her friends and gave them a big hug.  
  
"Thanks, Serena," said Sailor Jupiter. "Now we're free to look for the Silver Crystal."  
  
"No one's going….anywhere!" muttered a voice.  
  
The Sailor Scouts turned around to see Lilithite standing once again. She was very shaky, her clothes now suitable for rags, and her hair burnt to a crisp. Physically, she couldn't go on, but her vengeance was what kept her going. "You will…all…be destroyed!"  
  
"You gotta be kidding me!" shouted Venus. "We trashed her!"  
  
"Not exactly!" came another voice.  
  
The Sailor Scouts looked around, trying to find where the second voice was coming from. "Who was that?" asked a confused Mars.  
  
"Up here, Sailor Brats!" the voice said again.  
  
The Scouts looked to the sky to see another portal opening up. From it flew a familiar figure. The portal closed behind her as she floated in the air. "Face it, Skimpy Scouts," she mocked, "you just can't win!"  
  
Tuxedo Mask gasped at the sight. "Lilithite?!?!?"  
  
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NEXT TIME...  
  
Dang it, Lilithite sent a clone of herself, not the real thing! And a new enemy enters the battle field. The battle for the Imperium Silver Crystal continues!  



	4. Chapters 07 and 08

AUTHORS NOTES  
  
DISCLAIMERS: Rights to Sailor Moon are owned by Naoko Taceuchi, Kondansha Publishing, Toei, DiC, Optimum Productions, Cloverway...am I forgetting anything?  
  
This story is supposed to provide an alternate story line to the Sailor Moon series. It starts after the Sailor Moon R series ends (the Death Phantom is destroyed and Rini goes home to Crystal Tokyo). The next events are of my own creation and do not relate to the Sailor Moon S series (at least not intentionally).  
  
I finished this fanfic over a year ago, before the S and SuperS seasons were dubbed in America. Please excuse any attack names that are DiC-ish, because that is what I had to work with at the time. ;) This story, after looking back, seems a cross between Japanese and American references. So, please excuse the term "Negaverse" as opposed to "Dark Kingdom", because the story focuses on Jedite.  
  
Yes, I wrote "Scouts" instead of "Senshi" as well. My intentions are on the side of good, however, as I rectify this later on in the story!  
  
Also, each part posted here will contain two chapters.  
  
Anyway, please enjoy the story!  
  
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CHAPTER 7  
  
Serena did a double take as she looked at the sky's Lilithite, and the ground's Lilithite. Both looked identical, with the exception of the battle scars of the first one. "No way!" she shouted. "Two Lilithites?"  
  
The Lilithite in the sky smirked. "You didn't really think I would go myself, would you?" With a wave of her hand, her double was levitated into the air. With the same hand, Lilithite made a fist, and the double dispersed into the air like dust. "I sent this clone here to steal your energy for me. Apparently, she couldn't do the job." She let loose a huge yawn. "So, I guess I'll have to do it myself."  
  
"I can't believe this!" shouted Sailor Jupiter. "We spent all this time fighting a clone?"  
  
"We have to put a stop to this!" yelled Sailor Mars.  
  
"I'm with ya!" added Sailor Venus.  
  
"It seems the only way out of this is the Sailor Planet Attack," suggested Sailor Mercury.  
  
"Do you think you'll be strong enough without me?" asked Serena.  
  
"We'll be okay," assured Sailor Mars. "You take cover."  
  
"Okay," said Serena, a bit unsure of herself. She and Tuxedo Mask left the battlefield, stopping by the motorcycle.   
  
Luna and Artemis came into view. "There you two are!" Luna shouted.  
  
"It took us forever to find you guys," said Artemis. "What happened?"  
  
"Well," began Serena, "the Scouts had the upper hand on Lilithite, but it was really a fake. The real Lilithite came out and destroyed the fake one, and now the Scouts are gonna do the Sailor Planet Power!"  
  
"What a mouthful," commented Artemis.  
  
Luna's dream came to her mind. The scenario had been very familiar. The Scouts cast the Sailor Planet Power, but it ended up destroying them. A worried look appeared on her face. "Is anything wrong?" asked Serena.  
  
Luna snapped out of her state, and shook her head. "No, no, nothing…" she replied.  
  
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"Everyone ready?" asked Venus.  
  
"As ready as we'll ever be!" replied Mercury.  
  
"All right! Let's go!" shouted Jupiter.  
  
The Sailor Soldiers joined hands as they began to pool their powers together. "MARS STAR POWER!" cried Sailor Mars.  
  
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"  
  
"JUPITER STAR POWER!"  
  
"VENUS STAR POWER!"  
  
"SAILOR PLANET ATTACK!"  
  
Four energy auras surrounded the Sailor Scouts, drawing from the very source of their powers. The auras around them grew brighter, and finally rose in a magnificent display. Even Lilithite thought this was impressive.  
  
The four energy beams converged into one huge energy ball, and streaked toward the intended target in the sky. Lilithite just turned her head in disgust. "Pathetic," she muttered.  
  
With a wave of her hand, the energy ball halted its progress in mid-air. All of the Sailor Scouts were shocked. "You can't do that!" Serena shouted.  
  
"Face it, beautiful," said Lilithite without emotion, "I'm more powerful than all of you put together. You never stood a chance."  
  
Mercury was confused. "No enemy was ever able to stop our energy attack in mid-air before," she said to the other Scouts. "How did she do that?"  
  
"Easy," said Lilithite, tossing her hair back. "With this!" A familiar object appeared in her hand.  
  
Serena recognized it right away. "My broach!" she shouted. "She's got my broach!"  
  
"And the Imperium Silver Crystal!" added Luna, worried.  
  
"Exactly!" Lilithite mocked. "Such a cute little toy you got here," she said, turning the broach over and over in her hand.  
  
"Give it back, you creepazoid!" shouted Serena, trying to think of a good insult to throw at her.  
  
"Of course, 'Sailor Moon'," said a sarcastic Lilithite. "I wouldn't have it any other way…oops!"  
  
Lilithite "accidentally" dropped the broach…right into the suspended ball of energy. When Serena and the Scouts realized what was happening, it was too late. When the broach entered the energy ball, a giant explosion streaked across the sky. The light was so blinding that everyone had to shield their eyes.  
  
After a moment, the light dimmed. Serena began to see things in slow motion for a moment. Pieces of her broach scattered around where she was standing. The Sailor Scouts, Tuxedo Mask, and the cats looking on with fear in their eyes. The Imperium Silver Crystal in the hands of Lilithite.  
  
When time resumed it's normal pace, Serena couldn't move. Part of her told herself this wasn't happening. Part of her was filled with rage. Part of her was frozen solid. All she could do was fall to her knees and gaze at was once her transformation broach. Her life, in pieces on the ground.  
  
Lilithite let loose a howling laugh of glee. "Ha, ha! My plan worked!" she beamed. "Looks like your 'Sailor Planet Power' thingee worked out after all! Now, my beloved, I will set you free!!!"  
  
The Sailor Scouts couldn't say a thing. They just stared at the evil being hovering in the sky, holding what they were trying to protect for so long.  
  
"I…..I can't believe my eyes!" stuttered Luna.  
  
"My broach," muttered Serena.  
  
"Now what are we going to do?" asked a bleak Artemis.  
  
"My…broach," Serena muttered again, tears swelling in her eyes. Tuxedo Mask put a hand on her shoulder, and Serena couldn't hold it anymore. She laid her head on his shoulder, crying in frustration. Without even the chance of getting her broach back, she was totally helpless.  
  
Lilithite raised the Silver Crystal high into the air as a portal opened up behind her. "Imperium Silver Crystal!" she screamed. "Heed my call! Release my beloved from his tortured bonds. Free him from his imprisonment. Break the seal!"  
  
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Within the Prison of Lost Souls, a bright light flashed in front of Jedite's eyes. Within an instant, the light passed, and shards of crystal were flying around him. It took him a moment to realize that those shards were his former prison cell. "She did it," he muttered aloud. He took a few steps from where he had been standing. "She did it!" he beamed. "I'm free! I'm actually free!" After the notion of freedom finally sunk in, he gazed out toward a portal opening up to a cityscape. "Lilithite must be battling those blasted Sailor Scouts," he said. "Now it's time to defeat them once and for all!" He entered the portal, revenge one of his many tasks.  
  
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All was silent on the battlefield. "Lilithite seems to be waiting for something," Sailor Mercury thought. "It's been a few minutes since she spoke that incantation."  
  
Sailor Jupiter hung her head low. "I feel like I let Serena down," she said.  
  
"I know what you mean," agreed Sailor Mars. "I never expected this to happen."  
  
"I feel just awful," said Sailor Venus. "But we can't let this get us down."  
  
"That's right," said Mercury. "Whatever happens, we're all in this together."  
  
The other three nodded in agreement. They turned their vision toward Serena. She was hugging Tuxedo Mask for comfort while Luna and Artemis were trying to console her. They were going to help the cats, but noise came from inside the portal. A lone figure floated out to join Lilithite, laughing in a low, maniacal tone of voice. "Now I shall exact revenge on all who dare oppose me!" he shouted.  
  
Mercury did a double take when she saw who was next to Lilithite. "That's…that's Jedite!" she shouted.  
  
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CHAPTER 8  
  
Sailor Mars gasped. "My visions…they're coming true!"  
  
This was the first time that Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus had ever seen Jedite. "So that's what that Negacreep looks like," she remarked.  
  
"He looks just like my old boyfriend….in an evil sort of way," added Jupiter.  
  
"Now you Simple Scouts are in for it!" yelled Lilithite. "Jedite will be the one who'll lead the Negaverse to it's former glory!"  
  
Lilithite handed the Imperium Silver Crystal to Jedite very carefully, as if it was a new born baby. Once he grasped it, he held it high into the air with his right hand. "Now we have taken what is rightfully ours!" he yelled triumphantly. Serena rose to her feet when she heard this. Her muscles tightened, her fists were clenched, and her teeth locked together. She still stood her ground, not letting her emotions get to her. "The Negaverse will rule all!" he started again. "And you annoyances will be the first to go…"  
  
His gloating was cut short by a sudden pain in his right hand. So sudden that the shock forced him to drop the crystal. Lilithite came to his aid immediately, not noticing he dropped the crystal. Jedite's fingers ran with green blood. Something protruded from his palm, causing the bleeding. It was a red rose.  
  
Tuxedo Mask was standing right under where the two enemies were floating. "The Imperium Silver Crystal was never meant for you!" he began. "The crystal belongs to the Princess of the Moon Kingdom. And I'm not going to let you take it without a fight.!"  
  
"You again!" shouted Jedite, removing the rose from his wound. The wound seemed to heal instantly, as if it wasn't even there. He remembered Tuxedo Mask from all those times he saved Sailor Moon in the past. "But you can't help your 'Princess' this time! Not without this crys…" He then realized he no longer had the crystal. A scream of anger and disgust passed through his lips.  
  
Lilithite turned his way again. "What happened?" she asked, concerned.  
  
"The Silver Crystal isn't here!" he shouted in answer.  
  
"What?" gasped Lilithite.  
  
"I must have dropped it when that rose hit me!" he scowled in disgust.  
  
"Don't worry!" said a confident Lilithite. "It can't have landed far. I'll go look for it."  
  
When the Sailor Scouts heard that, they decided to take advantage of this situation. "We have to find the crystal before Lilithite does!" shouted Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"Right!" answered the other three Scouts. They frantically joined Lilithites's search for the Imperium Silver Crystal, obviously not for all the same reasons. Each person began to lift garbage pieces and/or digging through the ground to see where it landed. Both sides hoped they would find it first…  
  
@@@@@  
  
"You'll pay for that!"  
  
Jedite fired a beam of dark energy toward the top-hatted hero. Tuxedo Mask retaliated by raising his cape to protect himself. His cape seemed to protect him from most energy blasts and enemy attacks.  
  
"You think you can just lift your cape and discard my energy?" roared Jedite. "This is nothing! Feel my true power!" The beam intensified to nearly five times it's original power. Tuxedo Mask felt pain all over his body, but still managed to stand his ground.  
  
"I won't…be defeated…that…easily!" Tuxedo Mask shouted, struggling to get the words out. He pulled out a rose to throw, but Jedite was ready. He put more energy into his attack until the beam was ten times more powerful than it once was. Tuxedo Mask's rose, mask, and hat seemed to evaporate into the energy. However, try as he must, he couldn't take the punishment any longer. He collapsed under the brutal strength of the beam. When he did, Jedite stopped the beam, partially because he needed to rest. When the beam ended, Tuxedo Mask was gone. In his place was a man dressed in a black turtleneck sweater, green jacket, and khaki pants.  
  
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When Serena knew that her broach was gone, she felt frozen inside, and she couldn't move. But when she saw Darien fall under fire, she couldn't just stand by anymore. "THAT'S IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTT!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.  
  
This caught everyone's attention. Lilithite and the Sailor Scouts stopped their search for the Silver Crystal. Jedite calmly shifted his gaze to the former superhero. Even Darien weakly turned his head toward her.  
  
One million emotions were coursing through her mind at once. A sudden rush of adrenaline flowed through her like water. "I can't take it anymore!" Serena shouted. "First you destroy my broach, then you try and destroy my boyfriend! I can't stand it anymore! Powers or no powers, you're goin' down!!!!!"  
  
Sailor Mars was shocked beyond her wits, as were the other Sailor Scouts. "She's finally flipped!" she thought to herself.  
  
Without thinking, Serena broke into a blind run for Jedite. She couldn't think of anything else but revenge for all the wrongs that had been committed against her and her friends. Anger clouded her thoughts, totally blinding her logic.  
  
"SERENA!" shouted Luna, trying to get through to her. "Don't do this!"  
  
"You can't do it by yourself!" added Artemis. "It's too dangerous!"  
  
Serena didn't hear them. All sound seemed to cease for the moment for her. Even the Sailor Scouts, with all their desperate pleas for her to stop and to snap out of it, had no effect. She was going to teach Jedite a lesson, and she was going to do it herself.  
  
Lilithite, sensing her "beloved" was in trouble, acted quickly. "Keep away from my guy!" she shouted, throwing a green energy bolt directly at Serena.  
  
This caught her in the chest, sending her back ten or twenty feet, landing squarely on her face.  
  
"Serena" shouted the Sailor Scouts, calling off the search to help their friend.  
  
Jedite now had the Sailor Scouts right where he wanted them. "Now it's your turn!" he bellowed toward them.  
  
As the Sailor Scouts ran to help Serena, they noticed they were running slower and slower, and not by choice. Sailor Venus was the first to stop completely. "What a minute," she shouted. "I can't move my feet!"  
  
"Neither can I!" shouted Sailor Mars.  
  
The other Scouts experienced the same thing. No one could move their feet. All four of them were trapped standing up. "What's going on!?!" shouted Sailor Jupiter.  
  
Jedite developed a half-smile upon his face watching the Scouts struggle. "You honestly don't think I would let you run around freely, do you?" he cackled. "You two have been a thorn in my side ever since I first saw you!" he said, referring to Mercury and Mars. "And I don't particularly care for the rest of you, either. Now it's time to get rid of you pests once and for all!"  
  
"We gotta…break free!" said Venus, struggling.  
  
"I know….urgghh," added a discouraged Mars. "but Jedite has got us locked up pretty tight."  
  
"There might…be a way," suggested Mercury.  
  
"How?" asked a desperate Jupiter.  
  
"It's a long shot," she began to answer, "but we might be able to use our transformation sticks for a power-boost. With that extra energy, we might be able to break free."  
  
"I'll try anything once," said Venus.  
  
"It doesn't look like we have much of a choice, either," said Jupiter.  
  
"Well, let's get this over with!" said Mars.  
  
One by one, they're transformations sticks appeared in their hands. As Jedite looked on, he couldn't believe it. His plan was working even better than even he dreamed possible. "You're digging your own grave, fools!" he yelled.  
  
As the Sailor Scouts raised their power sticks high, a huge wind, created by Jedite, swept over them. With no place to move their feet, the Sailor Scouts' bodies were blown every which way but up. However, during the huge monster wind, they're power sticks were lost. When the Scouts realized this, they became very worried. With all the things that had gone bad in this battle, this was all they needed.  
  
When the wind cleared, everyone saw Jedite standing on the ground with all four transformation sticks floating in front of him. No one, not even the cats, thought of making any false moves. Jedite held all the cards now.  
  
The Scouts felt the ribbons that incased them within their Sailor Scout uniforms weaken and loosen around them. Jedite just laughed. "Face it, Sailor Scouts," he mocked. "You made all the wrong moves this battle. But don't worry your ditzy little heads about that. Now I shall make everything right!"   
  
He called Lilithite over to his side, and each took two of the four power sticks; one for each hand. The Sailor Scouts could only watch in horror as the enemies squeezed they're transformational items hard. "Now Sailor Scouts," screamed both villains, "say good night!"  
  
Ear-splitting cracks could be heard as the sticks snapped in two. Upon the star tops, the Planet Symbols disappeared, leaving only black circles within their centers.  
  
The ribbons finally broke apart as well, reversing the Scout transformations into their normal clothes. The Scouts couldn't believe what was happening. Not even the cats. Within a few moments, the Sailor Scouts seemed to be defeated and helpless.  
  
Suddenly, Jedite clutched his head and fell to one knee. Lilithite once again came to his aid. "What's wrong, now?" she asked concerned.  
  
"I…need rest," he muttered. "I spent too long in that infernal crystal. I used up most of my energy in this battle." He lifted his head up. "We need to return to the Negaverse."  
  
Lilithite seemed shocked. "But I haven't found the crystal yet!" she exclaimed.  
  
"The Silver Crystal can wait," Jedite said. "It'll turn up somewhere." Lilithite helped raise Jedite to his feet. "Listen up!" he shouted. "Within twenty-four hours, I will have an entire army placed on this miserable planet! And with no opposition to stop us, the Negaverse will conquer all! See ya later, girlies!"  
  
"Oh no…you don't" muttered a hoarse voice.  
  
The Scouts looked back. It was Serena, still standing in spite of her fall. Her bottom lip was cut, with blood trickling down it. "Get back here!"  
  
Serena tried to run again. Her friends grasped her arms, trying desperately to hold her back. "No, Serena!" shouted Lita.  
  
"There's nothing we can do now!" added Amy, tears in her eyes, as well as everyone else.  
  
"Let me go!" shouted Serena, struggling against them. "I got Negaverse trash to recycle!"  
  
"You can't!" yelled Raye into Serena's ear. "Our powers our gone! You have to accept it!"  
  
"She's right," said Mina. "We have to let them go for now!"  
  
"NO! LET ME GO!" Serena kept shouting as Jedite and Lilithite stepped through another portal back to their home. When they were gone, the feeling finally sunk in. Her powers were gone, as well as the rest of her friends. The adrenaline gone, the only thing holding her together, she just fell to her knees, broke down, and cried.  
  
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NEXT TIME...  
  
The aftermath of the battle begins. With their powers gone, the options of the Sailor Senshi are very limited. Where did the Imperium Silver Crystal go? And if it's found, do the cats have a plan? 


	5. Chapters 09 and 10

AUTHORS NOTES  
  
DISCLAIMERS: Rights to Sailor Moon are owned by Naoko Taceuchi, Kondansha Publishing, Toei, DiC, Optimum Productions, Cloverway...am I forgetting anything?  
  
This story is supposed to provide an alternate story line to the Sailor Moon series. It starts after the Sailor Moon R series ends (the Death Phantom is destroyed and Rini goes home to Crystal Tokyo). The next events are of my own creation and do not relate to the Sailor Moon S series (at least not intentionally).  
  
I finished this fanfic over a year ago, before the S and SuperS seasons were dubbed in America. Please excuse any attack names that are DiC-ish, because that is what I had to work with at the time. ;) This story, after looking back, seems a cross between Japanese and American references. So, please excuse the term "Negaverse" as opposed to "Dark Kingdom", because the story focuses on Jedite.  
  
Yes, I wrote "Scouts" instead of "Senshi" as well. My intentions are on the side of good, however, as I rectify this...NOW! Pay attention, now!  
  
Also, each part posted here will contain two chapters.  
  
Anyway, please enjoy the story!  
  
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CHAPTER 9  
  
Lilithite had to support Jedite as the portal closed behind him. The energy drain had been too much for him. All the time spent in the prison crystal had made Jedite's body a bit weaker than it once was. That was why the energy drain was so taxing on him. However, his mind, soul, and power had grown by leaps and bounds as he thought of revenge against the Sailor Scouts.  
  
Even though the energy drain had left him weak for the moment, Jedite was pleased. The revenge had been carried out with exact precision and perfect planning. Because of him and his new assistant, Sailor Moon and the Sailor Scouts were completely and utterly destroyed. Even Tuxedo Mask failed to overpower him. Everything seemed to be going his way. A smile passed his lips.  
  
His arm was around Lilithite's shoulder, leaning upon her for support. "Can you walk on your own?" she asked.  
  
"I need…to sit," he muttered in response.  
  
Lilithite nodded, using her free hand to make several gestures. From the mist-filled ground, an object began to rise and form in front of their eyes. What appeared from the mist was a plush couch, perfect for resting. She sat Jedite down on it gently, sitting beside him if he needed any more of her help.  
  
Jedite once again smiled. "Lilithite," he started to ask, "has it sunk in for you, yet?"  
  
"No, it hasn't," she responded. He was of course referring to the "final battle", or so he thought, with the Sailor Scouts. "It's hard to believe that they'll no longer be in our way!"  
  
"Just the way Queen Beryl wanted it," he added. Energy was returning to him fast. He was absorbing the negative energy around him for his strength to return. When he obtained enough, he stood up. "However, that witch is dead," he commented. "And we have done exactly what she could never have dreamed of. Have complete control with no opposition!"  
  
Lilithite still sat upon the couch, half listening to what he was talking about, and half marveling at how he looked. "He is so built!" she thought to herself. When she brought herself back from the Bahamas, a thought struck her. "That's all well and good," she stated, "but what good is it without the force to back it up?"  
  
"What do you mean," Jedite responded in a half snarl.  
  
"What I mean," replied Lilithite, "is that you promised an entire army of soldiers were to walk on Earth within twenty-four hours. We don't have anymore agents left. They're all either dead or trapped in that prison."  
  
"Exactly," said Jedite, as if she hit the nail on the head.  
  
Lilithite was confused. "What does that mean?" she asked.  
  
"Follow me," Jedite responded, "and you will know all."  
  
He extended his hand out toward Lilithite, a signal for her to take it. She took it with pleasure. She didn't know what he was thinking, but her gut told her that it was going to be good."  
  
@@@@@  
  
"Are you feeling better, Serena?" asked Lita.  
  
Serena was able to return to her feet. "I little, I guess," she uttered. She still couldn't believe that her broach, as well as the Scout's transformation sticks, were gone. She felt somewhat lost within a labyrinth, without any way of finding her way out. However, the mourning stopped for a while when she realized something. "Darien!" she shouted suddenly. "Where is he? He needs me!"  
  
"Amy's checking him out," said Raye. "She's the 'doctor' of the group."  
  
Serena nodded and rushed over to his direction. The other Scouts quickly followed. Amy was hovering over Darien with her computer in hand. She typed furiously, scanning his body for negative energy and any sustaining injuries she could find. "Darien!" shouted Serena as she headed toward her fallen love.  
  
He was sitting up now, trying to shut out the remaining pain. He took Serena's hand when she came. "Serena," he said, giving her a look with his baby blue eyes.  
  
"The scan's complete," said Amy, folding he computer back up. "There are no broken bones, and there seems to be no negative energy in or around your body. I think your going to be okay!"  
  
"Did ya hear that?" said Serena joyously, helping Darien up. "Your gonna be alright!"  
  
Leaning on Serena for support, Darien and the rest headed for a bench nearby. Once they sat down, the other Scouts stood around them. "Do you feel alright?" asked a concerned Serena.   
  
"I just need to rest for a few minutes," he replied. "Nothing's broken…hey, what happened to your cheek?" Darien pointed to a small bruise upon Serena's cheek.  
  
"You can thank Raye for that," she replied. "She tried to 'slap some sense' into me when the enemies left." Both glared at Raye, who immediately blushed.  
  
"Can you still transform into Tuxedo Mask?" asked Mina. "We lost our powers, but I don't think Jedite took yours."  
  
"Let's see," Darien replied as he reached into his green jacket. He pulled out a rose, however it was brown and wilted. The stem was broken, and nothing happened when he raised it into the air. Darien sighed. "I guess Tuxedo Mask took the brute of the punishment when Jedite forced that energy beam onto me."  
  
"I'm very sorry," said Amy, offering her condolences.  
  
"I'm sorry, too," said Darien. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you all when Jedite took your wands."  
  
"You don't have to blame yourself, Darien," Serena said. "Nobody's blaming anyone. We just underestimated the enemy, that's all." She curled up her hand into a fist. "I still wish I could get my hands around that scraggly neck of Lilithite's!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Serena's right," said Amy. "There's no room for blame, here. Right now, we need to think about how to get the Imperium Silver Crystal back."  
  
"That's right," said Lita. "No one saw it when Jedite dropped it. It should be around here somewhere."  
  
"It could be closer than you think," Darien remarked in a mysterious tone.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Raye.  
  
Darien once again reached inside his jacket. He removed a familiar object from it's pocket. "I believe this belongs to you," he said, depositing it in Serena's hands.  
  
Everybody gasped. "The Imperium Silver Crystal!" all the girls shouted.  
  
Serena was shocked as anyone. When she saw the shimmering object within her hands, she put her arms around Darien and kissed him with so much force that he nearly fell off the bench. But he managed to straighten himself out and return the same amount of force. Serena broke off the embrace to ask how he obtained the crystal.  
  
"When the crystal fell," Darien began to explain, "I caught it and pocketed it before anyone else saw. Then Jedite blasted me before I get it back to you," he said to Serena specifically. Another sigh escaped his lips. "A lot of good it does us now."  
  
"Yeah," said Mina, "but look on the bright side. At least the Negaverse doesn't have the crystal!"  
  
"Right," said Lita. "As long as we have the Silver Crystal, there's still hope."  
  
"Hope," muttered Serena, staring into the brilliance of the Imperium Silver Crystal. "That's the one thing I'm short of."  
  
@@@@@  
  
Luna was sitting by Darien's motorcycle, unaware of the conversations the girls were having. She wanted to be alone for a little while, and try to let all thoughts of the day sink in. The Sailor Scouts were gone thanks to Jedite and his new apprentice. She couldn't think of how things could get any better.  
  
"Luna!" rang a familiar voice.  
  
She looked up to see Artemis running toward her. She sighed. "What is it, Artemis?" she asked half-heartedly.  
  
"I've got some great news!" he exclaimed. "I was listening on the Scouts' conversation, and we've found the Imperium Silver Crystal! Darien had it all along"  
  
"He did? We have?" asked Luna. Her spirits began to rise. "That is some good news!" But as quick as it had risen, her spirits lowered once more. "But what good is it now without the proper activator?" She was referring to Serena's transformation broach.  
  
"I know," Artemis responded, "but we can at least breath a little easier."  
  
"I guess there's that," said Luna, "but what do we do until then?"  
  
Artemis didn't have a clue. Neither did Luna. Both cats let a few moments of silence go between them. Neither of them new what do. But after those few minutes past, a wave of inspiration swept over Artemis' mind. The idea hit him so fast that he wondered why he didn't think of it sooner. He suddenly stood up. "I've got it!" he shouted.  
  
"Got what," muttered Luna.  
  
"This is it, Luna!" shouted Artemis. "This is the solution!"  
  
"Well, spit it out!" yelled Luna, unenthusiastically.   
  
Artemis began to speak in riddles. "Remember back on the Moon before Queen Beryl attacked us?"  
  
"Of course," snapped Luna. "But now isn't the time of think of such things…"  
  
"Come on!" shouted Artemis, cutting her off. "Think back. Where was everyone before Queen Beryl attacked?"  
  
"Alright, alright," said Luna, "I'll play along." She began to go back in her mind to the Silver Millenium, to the times when life was peaceful. "Let's see," she began. "Queen Serenity was ruling, Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion were hopelessly in love, and the Sailor Scouts were in their final stages of training. Satisfied?"  
  
"And how do you think the Scouts did in their training down here on Earth?" Artemis encouraged.  
  
"Obviously they passed with flying colors. What planet besides Earth have you been…." Suddenly Luna was on the same page of thought as Artemis. The same wave of inspiration swept over her as well. "And if they passed their training," she uttered slowly, "they're technically qualified for the…"  
  
"That's right!" shouted Artemis, ecstatic.  
  
"My goodness, you're right!" Luna happily exclaimed. "And with the Imperium Silver Crystal, we can open the door to…but what if they're not ready?"  
  
"Hey, with both Queen Beryl and Death Phantom under their belts, there's no question that they're ready!"  
  
A wave of joy washed over both cats, thinking of the possibilities. "Artemis," exclaimed Luna joyously, "there may be hope for you yet!"  
  
The cats then took off to see Serena and the rest of the crew. "Serena!" she shouted as she ran towards them. "I have great news! There's a way to return your powers!"  
  
@@@@@  
  
CHAPTER 10  
  
Jedite and Lilithite stopped walking when they came outside the Prison of Lost Souls. "We're here," he said.  
  
Lilithite was once again confused. "Why are we stopping here?"  
  
"This is where my plan is going to take effect!" he cackled.  
  
The twosome entered the Prison once more. Lilithite, for the life of her, could not understand why Jedite wanted to come back here. "You were held captive here for over a year!" she shouted. "Why are we here again?"  
  
"It's really simple," said a confident Jedite. "Just take a look around."  
  
Lilithite did what she was told. She looked upon all the green crystals which held the prisoners of Queen Beryl. She saw the Queen's first general, Gelstar, trapped within the first crystal. The record of his crime was lost in time, however, but speculation through history told that he must have spilled a drink all over her dress. Lilithite then started to walk down the long corridors, observing other monsters and generals who failed during the years. She saw two-headed monsters, weak human-like operatives, and some of the most historic Generals throughout Negaverse history. There was Fistan, the first general who conquered a planet, Tispolite, a well-rounded general who first discovered the universe that contained Earth, and Ronaldite, the one who opened the door to Earth-realm universe. Each of these monsters/generals performed an act or committed a crime against the Queen which she thought was totally unacceptable. She imprisoned them in the fabled green-sleep crystals, sending them to sleep forever.  
  
One set of crystals really caught Lilithite's eye. A set of seven crystals were separated from the rest. They contained very powerful ogre-type monsters known as the Seven Generals of the Apocalypse. In the days before the Seven Shadows, these were the Queen's most successful henchmen throughout history. They had conquered countless worlds, and had their swords stained with many of the people they had slain. But as soon as the Seven Shadows proved their worth to the Queen, she sent the Seven Generals of Apocalypse to an early imprisonment due to the superiority of their counterparts. Lilithite had always admired their work.  
  
She had finished her "tour" of the prison and returned to Jedite. "Well, I took a look around," she said. "What's so special about this?"  
  
"Look at their faces," Jedite began. "Their faces are full of anguish and pain. The pain is from being trapped by their own leader. The leader that had been faithful to them. The leader that had been loyal to them. The leader that destroyed their freedom whenever things didn't do their way." Jedite began to smile. "These fools have been betrayed. They have lost their only thought of leadership. It is time to give them a new leader. A leader that will be loyal and stay loyal until the bitter end!"  
  
Lilithite finally understood. "Are you going to free them?" she asked enthusiastically.  
  
"Yes," he responded. "These warriors of old will be the wave of the future! With these mighty warriors with the strength and knowledge of times past, we will conquer new worlds and enslave many more beings for eons to come!"  
  
"Oh, Jedite," Lilithite swooned, "You are so brilliant! I hope to be by your side when all this happens!"  
  
"Of course, my dear," Jedite assured her. "You shall be the commander of these forces. Besides, you are the one who freed me from my imprisonment. I shall never forget that."  
  
Jedite brought her close to him. He took her chin into his hand, and brought her head close to his lips. Lilithite had always dreamed of this moment, but never thought it would come true. She felt a wave of passion streak across her as his lips touched hers in a firm embrace.  
  
@@@@@  
  
"Serena!" Luna shouted as she ran towards the group. "I have great news! There's a way to return your powers!"  
  
All the Scouts, startled by this amazing announcement. "What?" said Lita.  
  
"Really?" uttered a shocked Raye.  
  
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" said Serena.  
  
"The idea was pushed out of our minds until now," Luna explained. "In fact, it was Artemis that came up with it." Artemis blushed for a second.  
  
"Well, how do we get our powers back?" asked Amy.  
  
"Before we tell you, we have to explain some things to you, first," remarked Artemis.  
  
"I'll go first," said Luna, clearing her throat. "During the Silver Millenium, in the years before Queen Beryl attacked, your elders passed the Guardian powers onto a new generation: the five of you. Thus you began the first stage of your training: the Scout phase."  
  
"Scout phase?" asked Mina.  
  
"You mean the Sailor Scouts are just Sailors in training?" added Lita.  
  
"That's right," said Artemis. "In the Scout phase, the Sailors first learn to use their powers, and how to perfect them."  
  
"I remember," said Luna, "that Princess Serenity never took her training seriously back on the moon, either. She was constantly dreaming of Prince Endymion and the Earth."  
  
"Well whatta ya know," Raye chimed in, "she was a ditz back then, too."  
  
"Very funny, Raye!" Serena snapped back.  
  
"Anyway," said Artemis, trying to get everyone to listen to him once again, "Queen Beryl attacked us before you could finish the Scout phase, so when we found you again, we just picked up where we left off."  
  
"Then," added Luna, "when we both thought you were ready, we shifted into the next phase: the Star Scout phase."  
  
"That explains the Star sticks," said Amy.  
  
"Right as usual, Mercury," said Artemis.  
  
"Wait a minute," said Serena. "Did I go through the same phases as the rest of the Scouts?"  
  
"As a matter of fact," said Luna, "no you didn't. The training for Sailor Moon is a bit different then the rest, for she's the leader."  
  
"Let me guess," said Serena, "my steps were Prism and Crystal?"  
  
"That's right," said Artemis. "When your first broach broke, we kinda had to rush into the next phase for you. Luckily, Queen Serenity thought you were ready."  
  
"But now what do we do?" asked Amy. "Our powers are gone, and that means we can't finish our training."  
  
"But you already did," said a confident Luna.  
  
"We did?" asked Raye.  
  
"Yep," said Artemis. "As Luna put it, you passed with flying colors."  
  
"You're now ready to take the final step," said Luna, "in becoming full fledge Sailor Guardians!"  
  
"Sailor Guardians?" asked Lita.  
  
"Is that any different than Sailor Scouts?" asked Serena.  
  
"There's a big difference," said Luna. "The Sailor Guardians have a sworn duty to become the Guardians of their respected planets."  
  
"You would still be known as Sailor Moon, Mars, and the rest," said Artemis, "but your official titles would be something like The Guardian of the Moon, or The Guardian of Mars, and it goes on like that."  
  
"Or you could just shorten the names to 'Guardian Moon', or 'Guardian Mars', and so on." added Luna. "Just like on the days of the Moon Kingdom."   
  
"Wow," said Serena. "Would we have to change our names to Sailor Guardians instead of Sailor Scouts? I kinda liked that name."  
  
"All of us do," said Amy.  
  
"You can call yourselves whatever you like," said Artemis, "but like we said, those would be your official titles."  
  
"Well, how do we become Sailor Guardians?" asked Mina.  
  
"That's what I was going to explain next," said Luna. "To become Sailor Guardians, there is a test that each of you must pass. The tests will test your specific attributes, such as intelligence and compassion. These tests prove without a doubt if you are worthy of receiving the Guardian Power."  
  
"Where do they take the tests," asked Darien.  
  
"Thank goodness you saved the Imperium Silver Crystal," Luna started. "We need it to open a portal. The portal will take the Scouts to the tests."  
  
"But we need to act quickly," said Artemis. "In about twenty-three hours, Jedite's gonna come back with new army, or so he says."  
  
"But we need time to prepare!" said Raye. "Thanks to Jedite and that flake he's got with him, we don't have any time."  
  
"Raye's right," said Serena. "We can't just rush off and take the tests now!"  
  
"You're right," said Luna. "We'll give you an hour to prepare yourselves."  
  
"An hour?" asked a startled Lita. "Is that enough time?"  
  
"Believe me, it's all you need," said Artemis with a smile. "All you need to do is get in the right frame of mind. Just think of your past accomplishments, and believe in yourselves. That's all there is to it."  
  
"We should start as soon as possible," said Amy. "Time is of the essence!"  
  
"Right!" said everyone else.  
  
The five girls-with Darien accompanying Serena-left the bench and began to mentally prepare themselves. Luna turned to Artemis, unsure of herself. "I know they'll pass," she said, "but I can't help having my doubts."  
  
"I know what you mean," responded Artemis. "But like always, the Sailor Scouts will come back winners. Just like Queen Beryl and Death Phantom!"  
  
Luna and Artemis just stared at eachother, no need for words between them. They just sat and counted the minutes before the hour of preparation ended.  
  
@@@@@  
  
NEXT TIME...  
  
The Sailor Senshi prepare for what lies ahead of them: The Guardian Trials. The cats use the Imperium Silver Crystal to open the doorway, as destiny calls. Amy Mizuno is the first one up at bat. 


	6. Chapters 11 and 12

AUTHORS NOTES  
  
DISCLAIMERS: Rights to Sailor Moon are owned by Naoko Taceuchi, Kondansha Publishing, Toei, DiC, Optimum Productions, Cloverway...am I forgetting anything?  
  
This story is supposed to provide an alternate story line to the Sailor Moon series. It starts after the Sailor Moon R series ends (the Death Phantom is destroyed and Rini goes home to Crystal Tokyo). The next events are of my own creation and do not relate to the Sailor Moon S series (at least not intentionally).  
  
I finished this fanfic over a year ago, before the S and SuperS seasons were dubbed in America. Please excuse any attack names that are DiC-ish, because that is what I had to work with at the time. ;) This story, after looking back, seems a cross between Japanese and American references. So, please excuse the term "Negaverse" as opposed to "Dark Kingdom", because the story focuses on Jedite.  
  
Also, PLEASE add a review after reading. I hardly ever get feedback on my storys and such, but I would like to know your opinions of this story. Good? Bad? Too DiC-ish? I'd like to know! Especially now, because things REALLY get good from here on out! (NOTE: This has been a shameless plea and self-plug on behalf of the author.)  
  
Anyway, please enjoy!  
  
@@@@@  
  
CHAPTER 11  
  
Serena and Darien walked to the motorcycle parked by the lot, holding hands as they moved. Darien sat down on the motorcycle's seat, while Serena found a comforting spot upon his lap. Both looked at eachother with their eyes full of expression. There didn't seem need for words. Both the pain, anger, and joy mixed in their eyes said it all. Serena was the first to break the silence. "This is all happening so fast," she said.  
  
"What?" asked Darien, half snapping out of a trance.  
  
"This is just too weird," she rephrased. "I mean, first we lose the crystal, then we lose our powers. Now we have the crystal again, and now we have to take a test to get our powers back! It's only been one day! Everything is happening so fast that my head is spinning!" She held her head to add to the effect.  
  
"I know what you mean," said Darien.  
  
"Huh?" muttered Serena. "You do?"  
  
"I've been in lots of situations like this," Darien explained. "Well, maybe not like this, but close to it. I mean, you know the feeling that you have so much to do in so little time, like all of your school work for the next day, or trying to get somewhere on time without being late." Serena nodded her head, knowing that feeling all to well.   
  
"This is just like those simple situations," Darien restarted. "It's crunch time, and you only have a small amount of time to prepare. Only now it's something really big."  
  
"Yeah," said Serena. "But Luna and Artemis said all I have to do is get in the right frame of mind. I know it's funny, but I feel like I've forgot something else to do, you know?"  
  
"Right," said Darien. "I've had that feeling, too. But I know you'll do fine, Serena. You've always come through in bad times. Besides, you've got great friends who believe in you every step of the way." He put his arms around her shoulders, pulling her close. "I know I always have," he said softly, "and I always will."  
  
Serena's lips met his as they began to kiss. But soon after the embrace started, Darien broke it off abruptly. Serena was slightly confused. "Darien?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"  
  
Darien sighed. "I don't know," he said. "I just had something on my mind for the past few days."  
  
"What is it?" she asked, concerned. "What's bothering you?"  
  
"It's….It's dumb," said Darien, embarrassed. "I shouldn't have brought it up."  
  
"Darien," said Serena, seeming serious once again. "You never had any problem telling anything to me before. Why now?"  
  
Darien sighed again. "It's…something I never mentioned to anyone. It's something very personal to me."  
  
"You can tell me," encouraged Serena, holding his hand. "I'm a good listener."  
  
"Okay," said Darien, reluctantly. "Ever since I was in the car crash, I've been trying to find out who I really am."  
  
"But now you know," said Serena, interrupting. "Your Prince Endymion of the Moon Kingdom."  
  
"Exactly," restarted Darien. "Now I know that, I feel like I have to do something to live up to my past."  
  
"Hey, you'll always be a prince in my eyes!" said Serena, trying to cheer Darien up.  
  
"I know," said Darien, "but what about our future? We already know what's going to happen. But I'm afraid that it's not going to turn out the way we saw it."  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Serena.  
  
"I mean, if I make one wrong turn, we may never get married, or become rulers of the Earth, or Rini might not be born." Darien lowered his head. "There's so many possibilities for the future that I don't know what to think. Sometimes I feel that it's my job to protect ourselves for the future."  
  
"Your right," said Serena, putting her free hand on Darien's shoulder. "They're plenty of ways the future can be. But what's important right now is the present. All we have to do is take it one day at a time. I mean, we might have changed the future already by losing our powers. But if we get new powers, the future might be changed again." Serena's head was spinning with all the possibilities. "For all I know, we could become performers in some bizarre space circus act with unicorns! But for now, lets not think about the future. When it comes, it comes! And nothing can stop it."  
  
Darien raised his head. "You know your right? Good point, Meatball-head!"  
  
"I'll ignore that," said Serena.  
  
Darien laughed. "Thanks a lot, you really helped. But, don't tell me you thought of all that yourself."  
  
Serena blushed. "Okay, so it was on a soap opera the other day, so sue me."  
  
Both laughed a bit more, letting the stress of the day go for a moment. Darien and Serena spent the rest of the time talking about random things, remembering the fateful day of how they first met, the past monsters they fought, about Rini and hoping she's okay in the future, and other things to give Serena confidence in the tests.  
  
Artemis bounded up to them when the hour was almost finished. "Hey guys," he said out loud. The two lovebirds turned his way. "It's almost time to go. You ready, Serena?"  
  
She looked back at Darien with love in her eyes, and then looked back at Artemis. "As ready as I'll ever be," she said, standing to join her friends.  
  
@@@@@  
  
The five Scouts gathered in the middle of the lot. Each in their own way, had prepared themselves for what was ahead. Amy recited every scientific fact she could remember. Raye sent silent prayers to the Fire Spirits. Lita practiced her fighting skills. Mina thought of times past to when she was Sailor V. Each of these methods gave the girls confidence to face the tests.  
  
The girls, and Darien, stood in a semi circle before the two cats. "Does everyone feel ready?" asked Luna to the entire group.  
  
"I'm totally pumped up!" said Lita, raising her fists in the air.   
  
"Very much so," said Amy, nodding her head.  
  
"I feel great!" said Raye.  
  
"Let me at that test!" said an enthusiastic Mina.  
  
"Do ya have to ask?" said a confident Serena.  
  
Luna and Artemis looked at eachother, and nodded their heads. "It's time to open the portal," said Luna. "Serena, we'll need the Imperium Silver Crystal."  
  
Serena nodded, and pulled the magical stone out of her pocket. It's brilliance was as astounding as ever. She handed it to Luna, who grasped it gently with her mouth. She took the crystal over to where Artemis was standing, and laid the it upon the ground. Both cats took a few steps back from the crystal, closed their eyes, and started to concentrate.  
  
After a moment, the crescent moons on Luna and Artemis' foreheads began to glow. Soon, beams of energy shot forth from them, much like when Luna attempted the Luna Mindmeld. The energy beams struck the Silver Crystal, causing it to glow as well. The crystal started to levitate when the beams hit, and what looked to be expanding in the process.  
  
The Scouts were captivated by the brilliant display. The Silver Crystal then pulsed, and a blinding white light burst forth into all directions. The girls had to shield their eyes from the brightness. When the light cleared, a portal stood in front of them, along with the two cats. "Woah," said Serena. "What a light show!"  
  
"This is the doorway to the tests," said Luna.  
  
"When you pass through," added Artemis, "you might feel dizzy for a few minutes, but that will pass."  
  
"This is so wicked cool," muttered Mina.  
  
"When do we enter?" asked Lita.  
  
"When you are called in," responded Luna. "But before you do enter, please heed these words. You will be faced with some of the toughest situations you've ever encountered. Remember to use anything you have at your disposal!"  
  
"We know you can do it, Scouts!" said Artemis. "We'll be routing for you on the outside!"  
  
"Thanks, you guys," said Raye.  
  
"Now," said Luna in a defiant voice, "the time has come!"  
  
The portal flashed with a rainbow of colors. The colors stopped when it came to blue. "Mercury," whispered a mysterious voice, the symbol of Mercury appearing at the same time.  
  
"They're calling you first, Amy," said Artemis.  
  
Butterflies started to flutter around in Amy's stomach. "Well…" she said nervously, "I guess I'm first."  
  
"You'll do fine, Amy!" encouraged Serena. "We all believe in you!"  
  
Amy smiled. "Thanks, Serena." she said. She took a few steps toward the doorway, and paused. She turned around to face her friends once again. "Good-bye, my friends," she said with a tear in her eye. "And good luck!"  
  
"Good-bye, Amy!" shouted Mina.  
  
"Take care!" added Lita.  
  
"Good luck!" said Raye.  
  
"We believe in you!" added Darien.  
  
Amy's smile widened as she turned to the portal once again. With caution, she stepped through the bright blue energy doorway, and out of sight.  
  
The portal started to flash again, ending on orange. "Venus," whispered the same voice as the Venus sign appeared.  
  
Mina stared wide-eyed at the portal, not knowing what to expect. Mina started to walk up to the portal, but stopped halfway to it. Like Amy, she turned back to her friends. "Well, this is it!" she said enthusiastically. "My big moment!"  
  
"You'll do great," said Raye.  
  
"We all know you will," added Serena.  
  
"You're the goddess of love, right?" said Lita. "With all the love in your heart, you'll have no problem!"  
  
"Thanks guys!" said Mina. She started back toward the portal. Artemis walked up to her when she was a few steps away. "Please be careful in there, Mina," he said.  
  
This prompted Mina to pick Artemis up. "I will, Artemis," she said back. "You don't have to worry." Both smiled as Artemis was put back down. Everyone then said their good-byes as Mina took the step into the unknown.  
  
This prompted the portal to flash once again, this time ending on red. "Mars," the voice whispered as the symbol for Mars appeared.  
  
Raye curled up her fist and prepared to walk in the portal. Serena stopped her. "Be careful in there Raye, okay?" asked Serena.  
  
Raye nodded. "I will, Meatball-head, don't worry. Sorry about your cheek," she said, referring to Serena's bruise.  
  
"It'll be okay," said Serena. "Just be okay. I owe you one slap in return!"  
  
Both girls giggled. Lita and Darien both gave their good-byes and good lucks to Raye as she stepped through the portal as well.  
  
The portal flashed for the fourth time until it came to the green color. "Jupiter," the voice whispered, the sign flashing.  
  
When Lita heard her planet called, her hand began to shake. Serena was the first to notice. "Lita?" she asked. "Are you nervous?"  
  
"What?" answered a startled Lita. "Nervous? Whose nervous? I'm not nervous!"  
  
"Lita," said Serena, taking her hand, "You're the bravest person I know. You're going to do fine!"  
  
Lita's nervous spell subsided with those words. "You're right," said Lita, a wave of confidence washing over her. "I'm gonna kick butt!"  
  
Both Darien and Serena said their good-byes as Lita faced the portal. She had a confident look on her face when she finally entered.  
  
The portal flashed for the fifth and final time as the colors ended on pink. "Moon," the voice whispered as a crescent moon appeared.  
  
Serena tried to push all her fears aside when she head her the Moon being called. She turned to face Darien. "Well," Serena said with a tear in her eye. "I guess this is it…"  
  
"You'll be all right," Darien reassured. "Just believe in yourself."  
  
"Right," Serena muttered. Darien put his arms around her shoulders once more, hugging her. Serena put her arms around his body as well.  
  
"I love you," Darien whispered in Serena's ear.  
  
"I love you," Serena whispered in return.  
  
The embrace lasted for a few minutes. Serena didn't want it to end. But it finally had to when Luna called out her name. Serena reluctantly let go of Darien as she made her way to the portal. Before she entered, she turned around, and blew a kiss like a movie star. Darien made the action of catching the kiss. Serena smiled as she entered the new realm.  
  
The two cats looked at eachother after Serena went through. "They're gone," said Luna.  
  
Darien went to join the two cats. "They'll come back all right," he said.  
  
It was then that the portal faded to a jet-black color. Artemis was confused. "Wait a minute," he said. "Isn't the portal supposed to disappear?"  
  
Luna thought for a moment, and came up with the only solution. "It appears that the portal is calling one more," she said, looking at the only remaining human.  
  
Darien was shocked. "Me?" he asked. "Why me?"  
  
"Maybe you're being called in for the tests as well," suggested Artemis.  
  
"I guess so," Darien remarked as he stood before the doorway.  
  
"Don't worry," said Luna. "If I remember correctly, anyone entering the portal after the Scouts taking the test enters for a special purpose."  
  
"Yeah," added Artemis. "And maybe this is for you to get your powers back."  
  
"Right," said Darien. A warm energy began to course through his body. Images of Serena and the Imperium Silver Crystal flowed through his mind. "I guess I'm taking a test, too."  
  
"But please be careful," wished Luna. "Serena wouldn't know what to do without you."  
  
"I'll be alright," remarked Darien. "I think I know why I'm entering anyway."  
  
Luna and Artemis wished good-bye and good luck to Darien as well as he stepped through. The cats looked at eachother with expressions of hope as the portal closed behind them.  
  
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CHAPTER 12  
  
As Artemis predicted, Amy felt dizzy for a moment. She tried to gather her bearings as she explored her new surroundings. She appeared to be standing on some rocky terrain. She could see a mountain in the distance. When Amy looked in the sky, however, it didn't look like a normal sky at all. Instead, it seemed to be pulsing, flashing all the different shades of blue. "I must have arrived," she thought to herself. "Now what am I supposed to do?"  
  
As if someone was reading her thoughts, something flashed in front of her eyes. An object appeared before her. It was spherical, and the color of blue. Amy began to analyze it. "Hmm," she said aloud. "It looks like a crystal." She took out her computer to analyze it further. "The interior is some kind of power source," she read from the displays. "And there's something within the crystal." The screen began to magnify it's display of the crystal. "Strange," she muttered. "It's what looks like to be a model of the planet Mercury in a small scale."  
  
She realized that this might be a new source for her powers. She tried to grab hold of it, but the crystal seemed to avoid her grasp. The blue sphere streaked away at blinding speeds, heading for the mountain in the distance. "What's happening?" she said aloud.  
  
Amy began to feel a strange presence surrounding her. "SAILOR MERCURY!" said a mysterious voice.  
  
This startled her. "What?" she asked. "Who's there? Who are you?"  
  
The presence around Amy felt masculine to her. The voice of it proved her point. "YOU MUST RETRIEVE THE MERCURY PLANET CRYSTAL FROM THE MOUNT OF MERTOPIA," the voice began again. "THE BLUE LIGHT PATH WILL SHOW YOU THE WAY! TRAVEL THIS TO AVOID INJURY! BUT BEWARE OF THE CRYSTAL'S GUARDIAN!"  
  
As soon as those words were finished, Amy felt the haunting presence leave her. "Wait!" she shouted. "Who's the Guardian? Who are you?"  
  
Unfortunately, the only thing to answer her questions was silence. Amy sighed, and gazed off into the distance. "The mountain is at least ten miles from here," she thought. "And there are probably some traps along the way as well. How am I going to get there safely?"  
  
Suddenly, the ground she was standing on began to glow blue. Soon, a blue path was shown from the rocky terrain. The path streaked toward the mountain. Amy saw the path curve and twist as it went on and on into the distance. "This must be the 'Blue Light Path' the voice mentioned," she said to herself. "I guess when I reach the end, I'll find the crystal." She began to walk towards the mountain, not knowing what to expect.  
  
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Several hours later, Amy was coming to the end of the Blue Light Path. The hours and hours of walking were very taxing on Amy's feet, but she pressed on anyway. She noticed that hunger and fatigue didn't bother once upon her journey. She guessed that the test she was taking relieved her of these reactions. Under normal conditions, it would have took her several days to reach the mountain by herself.  
  
The Blue Light Path came to a sudden halt a few yards to where the mountain began. Amy took some time to admire the mountain's beauty. From where she was standing, she could make out a faint blue light at the top of the mountain. That was where the Mercury Planet Crystal lay.  
  
"This is going to take forever to climb!" Amy complained. Sighing, she took her computer out of her pocket once more to scan the mountain for traps. "Lets see," she said aloud, entering the data into the computer. "Scanning the mountain…wait a minute," she said, shocked at her readings. "The computer scans this as a sentient being, not a mountain!" Amy check a second time, making sure she entered in the data correctly. The results came out the same. "This is very strange," she said. "How can a mountain live?"  
  
"Blue hairdo girl right," said a loud, thundering voice.  
  
Amy was sure where that voice was coming from. "The mountain is talking?!?" she said in shock.  
  
"Right again, smarty-pants!" came the voice again. "Mountain can live on own! And your life only gonna be for next few minutes!"  
  
Amy became a witness to a great metamorphosis. The mountain began to change in front of her eyes! Legs began to rise from the mountain's bottom, and arms began to jut out from the "torso" on each side. From the top of the mountain, a head bean to form. As it did, the Mercury Planet Crystal became trapped in it's skull. Th mountain had now become a giant rock creature right in front of Amy's eyes. It appeared to be as tall as the dragon creature she and her friends had fought in Crystal Tokyo, maybe even more so.  
  
"You gonna be mincemeat, Mercury!" boomed the giant. He raised one of his feet into the air, ready to bring it down upon his target.  
  
Amy ran with all her life to dodge the attack. She succeeded with only an inch to spare. The rock monster began to get angry. "Hey!" he shouted. "You not supposed to run away! You have to be under foot so me can squash you!"  
  
Amy began to run once more, as far away from the monster as possible. The monster began to chase after her, as slow as he was. Every step he took caused the ground to rumble with great force. Amy began to stumble and trip as well. The monster didn't catch up to her, though. She managed to duck out of sight behind a lone rock. The creature didn't see her when she did, and became furious.  
  
"Where did blue-hair go?" he boomed. "She disappear on me! Where she at? WHERE SHE AT! Okay, okay, calm down. She here somewhere. Me gotta think! Me gotta beat sense into me!" He began to pound his head with ear-splitting cracks. Luckily, his thick skull protected his head from splitting wide open.  
  
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As the rock monster tried to "think," Amy crouched under the rock, gasping for breath. "I can't possibly take this thing on myself!" she said to herself. "There has to be some weakness this thing has." She pulled her computer out once again, and attempted to scan the creature. She entered the new data into the computer, and began to gain new readings. "Okay," she muttered, reading the displays. "This guy's got a body of a tank, but has very low intelligence. Maybe I can use this to my advantage."  
  
She then gazed up toward the monster, seeing him beat upon his head for a single thought. A plan started to formulate in her mind. "That thick head should give way at some point if he hits it enough," she thought. "I hope this works," she said as she began to climb the rock she was hiding under.  
  
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"Gotta…OUCH…pummel…OUCH…thoughts…OUCH…in!" screamed the rock monster as he kept bashing his head.  
  
"Hey you!" came a small voice.  
  
The rock creature stopped hitting himself to see Amy standing upon a rock. "There she is!" he shouted. He then held his head in pain. "Oooooohhhh," he groaned. "Splitting headache!"  
  
The monster made his way toward Amy, ready to squash her at any time. When he was a few feet away, Amy held out her hand. "WAIT!" she yelled.  
  
The rock monster stopped in mid-stride. "Why me wait?" he asked.  
  
"Let's make a deal," Amy shouted loud enough so the monster could hear. She knew he would be dumb enough to take it as well. "If you can answer me three questions correctly, than you can squash me."  
  
"Me can?" boomed the creature with glee. "Okay, you ask!"  
  
"Alright," said a fairly confident Amy. "What is your name?"  
  
"Ooohhh, that toughie!" said the monster. "Me don't know that!" He began to get angry. "Me stupid! Me gotta bash some sense into me!" Once again, he began to smash his head. Amy could see tiny cracks appear on his scalp.  
  
"Okay!" shouted Amy. "Next question. Why are you chasing me?"  
  
The monster stopped bashing his head to hear. "Oh, no!" he shouted. "That even tougher! Me REALLY gotta think!" He started to bash his head even harder. He stopped suddenly when a huge crack appeared at the top of his head. "OWWIEE!" he shouted. "Splitting headache!"  
  
Light began to pour out of the crack in his skull. Amy concluded that it was the light of the Mercury Planet Crystal. "Last question!" she shouted, knowing she was close. "What is two plus two?"  
  
"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHRRRRGGGGGHHHH!" shouted the creature. "I DON'T KNOW!" He pulled his right fist back, and prepared to strike his head hard. He forced a huge blow square in the jaw, going through, and out the back of, his head. He stood motionless for a few minutes, realizing he just smashed his head clear off his shoulders.  
  
Boulders began to fall around the area. Amy was in no danger, since the boulders fell behind the monster. Once he realized that he was, in fact, dead, he fell backwards upon the ground. Once he landed, a huge earthquake was created. Amy struggled to keep her balance, but the earth kept falling beneath her feet.   
  
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One half-hour later, when the earthquake finally ended, Amy finally stood up, her legs shaking. It was then she noticed that there was no earth left to stand on. She seemed to be walking on thin air. The pulsing blue light in the sky seemed to absorb everything in the area. Amy was afraid. "Now what's happening?" she thought.  
  
"Hold out your hands," said the mysterious voice.  
  
At this point, Amy was ready to do anything. She did what she was asked, and the Mercury Planet Crystal flowed gently into her hands. Amy grasped the crystal, and felt a warm energy pass through her body.  
  
"Well done, my child," said the voice.  
  
A figure teleported a few yards in front of Amy. He seemed to be an old man, with a long, white beard. He wore blue robes of silk and carried a staff to lean on. Upon his forehead, the symbol of Mercury was shown.  
  
Amy stared at the symbol, knowing she had the same. "Who are you?"  
  
The figure began to walk towards her. "You do not recognize me, my child?" he asked. "I don't blame you. It has been so long since we last saw eachother."  
  
Amy was getting impatient. "I still don't know who you are." she said.  
  
"Oh, yes," he remembered, "my identity. I must be getting feeble at my old age. I am Elistar, guardian of Mercury."  
  
Amy gasped. "Does this mean that I'm…"  
  
"Yes, my child," said Elistar. "I was your father during the Silver Millenium."  
  
Amy was at a loss for words. She didn't know how to greet him after all this time. "Are you still alive?"  
  
"Oh, I'm just here in spirit, I'm afraid," he said with a sigh. "But you have been wonderful, Amy. You have passed the test. I am so proud of you."  
  
Amy smiled. "I did? I passed?"  
  
"From what I heard, you've passed everything you've ever done!" Elistar laughed. "Besides, you holding the Mercury Planet Crystal is proof enough."  
  
Amy was overjoyed. "What do I do, now?" she asked.  
  
"Just take my hand, and follow me," said Elistar with happiness in his voice. "You will know in time."  
  
Elistar held out a hand to Amy, which she took. Together, they walked toward a specific destination, seemingly disappearing into the mist as they moved…  
  
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NEXT TIME...  
  
The guardian trials continue, with Mina Aino taking her test. Elsewhere, all those who were put to sleep in the Dark Kingdom era awaken! Jedite's plan becomes complete...  



	7. Chapters 13 and 14

AUTHORS NOTES  
  
DISCLAIMERS: Rights to Sailor Moon are owned by Naoko Taceuchi, Kondansha Publishing, Toei, DiC, Optimum Productions, Cloverway...am I forgetting anything?  
  
This story is supposed to provide an alternate story line to the Sailor Moon series. It starts after the Sailor Moon R series ends (the Death Phantom is destroyed and Rini goes home to Crystal Tokyo). The next events are of my own creation and do not relate to the Sailor Moon S series (at least not intentionally).  
  
I finished this fanfic over a year ago, before the S and SuperS seasons were dubbed in America. Please excuse any attack names that are DiC-ish, because that is what I had to work with at the time. ;) This story, after looking back, seems a cross between Japanese and American references. So, please excuse the term "Negaverse" as opposed to "Dark Kingdom", because the story focuses on Jedite.  
  
Anyway, please enjoy the story!  
  
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CHAPTER 13  
  
Mina felt a slight dizziness spell pass over her as she entered the portal. Her vision was slightly blurred as well. Her surroundings were fuzzy, so she couldn't figure out where she was exactly. An image flashed in front of her eyes, however, that seemed crystal clear. It looked like the planet Venus, however, it seemed to glow an orange color.   
  
As it did, Mina felt like someone or something was behind her. It began to speak in a feminine voice. "OBTAIN THE VENUS PLANET CRYSTAL!" the voice cried out. "IGNORE ALL DISTRACTIONS!" With that, the feeling was gone, and so was the vision of the crystal.  
  
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"Mina!" shouted a familiar voice.  
  
With her vision cleared up, Mina began to see her surroundings. She was surrounded by the other Sailor Scouts, Darien, and the two cats. In front of her, the portal lay to the tests.  
  
"What?" she asked. "Artemis?"  
  
"Were you listening at all to what we were saying?" asked a somewhat angry Luna. "We were explaining the portal to you."  
  
All the Scouts looked at her. Mina appeared embarrassed. "Oh, uh…sorry guys," she said. "I guess I was daydreaming."  
  
"Anyway," said Artemis keeping a sharp gaze upon Mina, "when you pass through, you might feel dizzy for a few minutes, but that will pass."  
  
Mina looked attentive, but her mind was focusing on something else entirely. "What a feeling of deja vu!" she thought to herself. "I could have sworn I passed through the portal already! I mean, I saw that vision with that 'Venus Planet Crystal.' Maybe I'm taking the test already. Or am I?" As the cats talked, she tried to discern whether this was real or fantasy.  
  
"Now," said Luna in a defiant voice, "the time has…"  
  
As she was about to finish her sentence, a man in a brown suit was seen in the distance. "Mina?" he shouted to them. "Mina Aino?"  
  
"Wonderful," Luna muttered. "Outside interference. Artemis, we have to close the portal!"  
  
"Right," he said back. Using their crescent moons once again, they made the portal shrink until it could no longer be seen.  
  
Not noticing what was going on, the brown suited man ran up to the group. He appeared to be a pudgy, balding man with sun glasses. He carried a business card in his hand. "Mina Aino?" he asked when he finally caught up to the group. "Former actress who played Sailor V?"  
  
Mina was confused. "Y-y-yes?" she stuttered.  
  
The man appeared to be satisfied. "My card," he said, handing Mina the business card.  
  
Mina accepted it, and began to read it out loud. "Russell Brin, Talent Scout?"  
  
"Correctamundo, little lady!" responded Russell. "I search for the best of the best stars in the business, and you, Mina Aino, are perfect for the new film we're doing!" He put his arm around Mina's shoulder. "Can I have a word with you in private?"  
  
"Ummm…hehe," Mina stuttered again, removing his arm from her person, "can I have a word with my friends, first?"  
  
Russell held his hands up, backing off. "Hey, no problem," he said.  
  
Mina stepped over to converse with her friends. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't know this was gonna happen. I'll go blow this guy off, then we'll get down to Sailor business."  
  
"The portal can be reopened, right Luna?" asked Raye.  
  
Luna sighed. "Yes it can," answered Luna. "But please be quick about it, Mina. We've wasted enough time as it is."  
  
Mina nodded, and again made her way toward the cocky Russell. "Look, Mr. Brin," she began, "I don't think that…"  
  
"Woah, woah!" said Russell, cutting her off. "At least hear my offer out!"  
  
Mina crossed her arms, knowing she was expected. "Alright, but make it quick!"  
  
"Okay, okay," said Russell. "I mean we're talking about a multi-million dollar contract here!"  
  
Mina's eyes began to light up. "Multi-million?"  
  
"That's right!" encouraged Russell. "We've started to introduce Sailor V into America. We've signed up a big, live-action movie deal, and hopefully an animated cartoon series afterwards. We want you to play Sailor V's part!"  
  
Mina began to put the tests out of her mind for a moment. "Wow," she uttered. "When do we leave?"  
  
"Why, right now of course!" said the over-confident Russell. "We'll give you a ride home to pack your bags, then we'll give you a ride to the airport. You'll be in America before sun rises!"  
  
Suddenly the words "IGNORE ALL DISTRACTIONS" came back to her mind. She finally realized what they meant. Mina then returned to reality. "Sorry, but…I can't."  
  
Russell seemed shocked. "Why not?" he asked.  
  
"I just can't leave here just like that!" she said in a serious tone. "I can't leave my family, friends and life behind. It's just not right!"  
  
"Friends, shmiends!" muttered Russell. "You could always get new friends!"  
  
"You don't understand!" Mina shouted. "I can't just leave my friends here! Sure, I liked the old days when I was Sailor V. But that was in the past. The people here don't care who I am. Besides, everyone's forgotten about Sailor V, with Sailor Moon around." She then turned her back upon him. "You got a lot of learning to do about life," she muttered.  
  
Russell removed his sunglasses. "So, you wanna remain with your friends, do ya?" he asked.  
  
Mina turned around again. "Duh! That's what I was trying to tell you!"  
  
"Perhaps if your friends weren't there, you would reconsider?" he asked, lowering his voice.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Mina in an angry tone.  
  
"This!" shouted Russell, raising his hands in the air. His eyes began to flash a reddish-orange color. His hands began to glow with a bright orange energy.  
  
Once Mina saw this, she began to take evasive action. "Guys, look out!" she called to her friends. "He's gonna fire at you!"  
  
It was at this time that the phony-agent fired an energy beam toward the group. Thanks to Mina's warning, everyone took cover before the beam hit.  
  
Russell became furious. He began to change before Mina's eyes. A pink rug with an odd symbol upon it appeared, and covered up his body for a few seconds. When it rose, a well-built man with pink hair and a tank top remained. "I am Hawkseye!" he announced. "You may not have fallen for my illusion, but you will fall for me!"  
  
Mina couldn't believe her eyes. "Are you kidding?" she shouted. "Why would I fall for you? You're just another creepazoid I'm gonna take down!" She posed in a fighting stance.  
  
Hawkseye became even angrier. "In that case, you will perish!" he screamed.  
  
With his magic, six mirrors appeared around him. "Line up, my beauties!" he cried. The mirrors apparently did as he commanded. Each of the mirrors took a place in front of his body. Three on his left side, three on his right.  
  
"Now my mirrors will reflect my fireballs and magnify their power!" Hawkseye triumphantly shouted. His hands glowed orange once again, firing two fireballs at the mirrors close to him.  
  
As he said, the mirrors reflected the fireballs, bouncing off each of the mirrors with ease. When each fireball came to the last mirror, they headed toward the center, converging into one giant fireball. After that happened, the newly formed projectile streaked toward Mina.  
  
Mina dodged the fireball with only inches to spare. She ended up tripping and falling upon her face. As she tried to pull herself up, Hawkseye only laughed. "You can't stop me!" he boomed confidently. "My powers reflected are hundreds of times greater than you will ever know!"  
  
"How am I gonna get out of this?" she thought. Suddenly, she remembered something important. She reached into her pocket, and pulled out a small object. It was a make-up compact.  
  
Hawkseye turned his whole body to face her. The mirrors shifted position as well. His hands started to glow once more, firing two fireballs at the mirrors. "Good-bye, Sailor V!" he shouted.  
  
"In your dreams, Hawk-head!" she shouted, flipping her compact open. As another huge fireball streaked toward her, she threw the compact at the fireball. When the two collided, the fireball was thrown back directly to Hawkseye.  
  
The fireball hit him square in the chest, sending him down on his back. The mirrors around him appeared to dissolve. "What!" he screamed. "I was defeated by make-up?!?"  
  
"It pays to have a mirror in your compact," Mina retorted.  
  
Hawkseye then realized what she had done. She had used her own mirror to redirect his power. "Funny," he muttered. "Defeated by my own game…." He faded away, along with the rest of the world around him.  
  
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Mina was at a loss for words. All of the surrounding scenery seemed to dissolve around her with the destruction of Hawkseye. The vacant lot was gone, and so were her friends, and the ground she was standing on. She seemed to be in the middle of void, surrounded by a pulsing orange light, shifting through all the orange shades in the color spectrum.  
  
Soon, an object appeared in front of her. "That's the thing I saw in that vision!" Mina cried out loud. "It's the….um…what's it called…the Venus…um,…Venus…"  
  
"The Venus Planet Crystal," spoke a gentle voice.  
  
"What?" asked Mina. "Who's there?"  
  
Her question was answered with the presence of a new figure. She had long, flowing blonde hair, much like Mina's. Hers however, reached her feet. She wore a shimmering orange dress that fit loosely around her shoulders. Her face appeared aged, but other than that, an exact replica of Mina's. Upon her forehead, shown the symbol of Venus.  
  
"Please take the crystal," she said. "You have earned it."  
  
Mina did as she was asked. As she grasped hold of the crystal, she felt a warm feeling wash over her. "Wow," she muttered. "This is so wicked cool!"  
  
"Congratulations, my dear Mina," said the woman. "You have passed your test."  
  
Mina's eyes lit up. "Really?" she asked in disbelieve. "I did?"  
  
"Yes, you have," the woman responded happily. She then appeared suddenly embarrassed. "I'm sorry," she said. "We haven't been properly introduced. I am Lana, guardian of Venus."  
  
Mina put her hand out in a gesture of friendship. "Pleased to make your acquaintance…" Mina stopped in mid-sentence. She began to realize the resemblance between the figure and herself. "Wait a minute," she thought, "she looks like me. The hair, the facial features, the symbol of Venus. It's uncanny!" Once she realized who she might be, she began to speak again. "Are we…related or something?" she asked.  
  
"Yes," said Lana. "During the Silver Millenium, I was your mother."  
  
Mina gasped. She didn't know what to say. "Wow," she muttered once again. "This is amazing! I always wondered what my life was like during the Silver Millenium."  
  
"You were a wonderful child," Lana responded. "I still remember the day I held you in my arms…" She held out her arms as if she was going to rock a new born baby. Soon, she turned back to reality. "Anyway, my dear Mina, you have done well. You have proven to us that you possess the knowledge that friendship is more important than fame and fortune. I'm very proud of you."  
  
"Thanks," said an overjoyed Mina. "But, who's the 'us', who you were talking about?"  
  
"You'll know in time, my dear," answered Lana. "But for now, you must come with me. We have so much time, and so little to do!"  
  
"That's 'we have so much to do in so little time,'" corrected Mina.  
  
Lana seemed somewhat embarrassed. "Thank you, Mina," she said. "I've had a history of reciting these proverbs the wrong way."  
  
"Trust me, your not alone," Mina said with a smile. Lana took Mina's hand, and began to walk to a specific point, fading into the background as they left the realm.  
  
CHAPTER 14  
  
Ragor stretched his neck once more as he entered the Hall of Commerce. Strangely enough, he was awoken from his sleep-crystal and was told by a blonde-haired woman to come here. He was also told that Beryl was dead, and a new opportunity arose for the Negaverse. He wondered where the other six Generals of Apocalypse were located, for he was their leader.  
  
As Ragor entered, he was met with the gaze of hundreds of other monsters. He recognized a few of them from other creatures locked away in the prison. Others he couldn't quite place. He tried to look for his partners, but he couldn't worm his way through the thick crowd.  
  
The Hall of Commerce was where Queen Beryl ruled from, issued her instructions, performed ceremonies, and delivered punishment. When it was invaded by Sailor Moon, however, it was sealed off from the general public. Only those with high ranking status in Queen Beryl's court add access to it at that time. It was fortunate that Jedite was still a high ranking officer before he was sent to sleep.  
  
After everybody from the prison had filed in, a horn blasted through the hall. It was the signal that all should be silent. The noise in the hall gradually went down. At the main part of the hall, where Queen Beryl's throne used to be, Lilithite appeared. She cleared her throat, and began to speak.  
  
"Ladies, gentleman, and monsters!" she happily yelled. "Allow me to present to you a new leader! The leader that will bring the Negaverse to new heights! The leader that will make countless universes fall to their knees! The leader that will stay loyal to you until the end of time!"  
  
Random sounds of applause could be heard throughout the hall, steadily increasing as Lilithite announced the "credentials" of the new leader. "And now," she began again, "I bring to you the new leader of the Negaverse: Jedite!"  
  
Lilithite then stepped down, allowing Jedite to teleport into the hall. A large chorus of cheers could be heard as he entered. Gone were the old robes we wore for Queen Beryl. Instead, he wore silver plated armor on his arms, legs, and body. At his side he strapped a sword. Upon his shoulders sat two plates with what looked like talons springing from them. Fastened to the plates was a black cape.   
  
Jedite raised his hand, a signal for him to speak. "Brothers of the Negaverse," he began, "perhaps you are wondering why you have been freed from your prison cells. You ask what has happened since you were trapped. I know all of you may be confused, and rightfully so." Murmurs came from the crowd to confer Jedite's words. "Do not worry. Your questions shall be answered in due time."  
  
"The first thing I should reiterate is that Queen Beryl is dead." Judging from the crowd's reaction, as Jedite and Lilithite could see, not everyone was informed of this. Noise erupted from across the hall once those words were uttered. Some people shouted cheers of joy. Others just stared in shock. It took another horn blast or two to quiet them down.  
  
"Be quiet!" shouted Lilithite. "Jedite is trying to speak!"  
  
The hall quieted once more, and Jedite resumed his speech. "As I said, Beryl is dead. However, I shall not shed a tear for her. For she was the worst asset the Negaverse had ever produced!"  
  
Murmurs once again flooded the Hall of Commerce. Jedite didn't stop talking this time. "I've learned from experience that she can't be trusted. You should know, too. Whenever you made a mistake in your mission, or became useless to her, what did she do? Place you under eternal-sleep!"  
  
Murmurs of agreement rang through the hall. Jedite continued. He pointed to a male general with short blonde hair. "You, Tipsolite, were the one who discovered the very universe we're trying to conquer! You were material for the Negaverse hall of fame! But as soon as 'she' thought you of no use to her, she froze you up!" Tipsolite, succumbed into Jedite's spell of words, nodded in agreement.  
  
He then shifted his gaze to a three-headed monster. "And, you, Vermitar, we responsible for the destruction of Kronin, the dragon-hero from the Recot System. However, Beryl put you to sleep when you failed in a mission only four weeks later!" Vermitar growled in anger when he remembered what Beryl did to him.  
  
"All of you have suffered from her. Even I have suffered from her. But what is really sad is that she led some of our best generals to death!"  
  
The crowd was clearly on Jedite's side at his point. Each monster was shocked at what they heard. "After I was frozen, three of our best generals, Nephrite, Zoisite, and Kunzite, all perished under Queen Beryl's rule!" He lowered his head. "Kunzite was a good friend of mine. We lost three good men, thanks to her."  
  
A smart-alec comment was heard from the far back. "You sure Zoisite's a man?" he said sarcastically.  
  
Laughter roared from the crowd. Lilithite decided to join in. "Well, you were never too sure with him!" she added. Laughter once again roared through the hall.  
  
Jedite gave Lilithite the evil eye, letting her know her place. Lilithite, somewhat embarrassed, started to calm the crowd down once again. Jedite resumed his speech. "Eventually, she perished. But this is who defeated her, out of many powerful warriors in all the universes, she managed to die at the hands of schoolgirls!"  
  
The hall once again erupted with comments. Jedite continued on. "This is the leader that you have worship since she became the Queen of the Negaverse. Defeated by children. I shall not be so easily defeated!"  
  
The crowd cheered Jedite on. "I shall assume her duties and become the new leader of the Negaforce! With me as your leader, you shall not be betrayed. You shall not be sent away for some little mistake. I will be faithful to my soldiers until the very end!"  
  
More cheers could be heard from the crowd. Lilithite then took her place beside Jedite. "All those in favor of Jedite as the new leader," she shouted, "say I!" "I's" could be heard from all around the hall.  
  
"All appose," she began again, "say Nay!" Not one nay could be heard. She turned toward Jedite with a smile. "The I's have it," she gleamed happily. "They love you, Jedite."  
  
Jedite returned the smile. "My plan is a success," he whispered back to her. He turned toward the crowd once more. "I thank you all for accepting me as your leader," he beamed. "Now, for my first act, I declare war upon the planet Earth!"  
  
Everyone agreed with more yells of support. "And I have chosen who shall lead this revolution," he boomed. "The Seven Generals of Apocalypse!"  
  
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When Ragor heard his group being called to the front of the Hall, he made his way through the crowd, as did the other Generals. Once they reached the front, a small reunion took place. Ragor gathered his partners: Ygon, Fareth, Honbor, Porthos, Witech, and Gerchon, in a firm embrace, glad to see that all were well. Once the embrace was done, the official Apocalyptic Salute was performed. It was a special salute, signifying each honored and trusted eachother. Once their little ceremony was done, they took their places behind Jedite.  
  
"These officers have been chosen to lead the operation upon Earth.," Jedite began once again. "These are, in my opinion, the most capable warriors the Negaverse has to offer, not discounting the rest of you as well. I shall also select a group of warriors to act as the Shadow Soldiers. These will be the brunt of the attack power for the mission. Those of you that are worthy will be chosen by Lilithite." Jedite smiled. "You are all dismissed. For now, Lilithite shall show you to your barracks. The Negaverse shall be victorious!" This was answered by another chorus of cheers by the soldiers.  
  
As Lilithite made them file out one by one, Jedite slowly smiled. "I have gained their trust," he thought. "This is perfect. With Beryl and the Sailor Scouts gone, there is no one to stand in my way now!"  
  
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NEXT TIME...  
  
Raye Hino and Lita Kino are next when to take the tests. Raye reads into the fire for answers, while Lita protects a young girl from another familiar face... 


	8. Chapters 15 and 16

AUTHORS NOTES  
  
DISCLAIMERS: Rights to Sailor Moon are owned by Naoko Taceuchi, Kondansha Publishing, Toei, DiC, Optimum Productions, Cloverway...am I forgetting anything?  
  
This story is supposed to provide an alternate story line to the Sailor Moon series. It starts after the Sailor Moon R series ends (the Death Phantom is destroyed and Rini goes home to Crystal Tokyo). The next events are of my own creation and do not relate to the Sailor Moon S series (at least not intentionally).  
  
I finished this fanfic over a year ago, before the S and SuperS seasons were dubbed in America. Please excuse any attack names that are DiC-ish, because that is what I had to work with at the time. ;) This story, after looking back, seems a cross between Japanese and American references. So, please excuse the term "Negaverse" as opposed to "Dark Kingdom", because the story focuses on Jedite.  
  
Anyway, please enjoy the story!  
  
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CHAPTER 15  
  
When Raye's dizziness passed, she tried to get her bearings. She seemed to be outside, with familiar scenery around her. She recognized the Shinto Temple before her as her own. The surrounding bushes, trees, and flowers were in their proper places as well. She concluded that she was in front of where she lived.  
  
Raye was confused. "This is strange," she thought to herself. "Why am I in front of my house? Did something go wrong with that doorway I went through?"  
  
"Raye!" shouted a familiar voice.  
  
She woke up from her thoughts, startled from the voice. She looked behind her. "Grandpa!" she said with a start.  
  
Her grandfather just stared at her, somewhat angry. "It's about time you got back!" he said. "I was just about to report you missing! Did you bring your watch?"  
  
Nodding, Raye checked her watch. "Eight o'clock?" she said, surprised. "Woah, I guess I lost track of time."  
  
Grandpa smiled. "Well, as long as you don't make a habit of it," he said, his own way of forgiving her. "I reserved the main room for you, if you want to do another fire reading."  
  
Raye thought about Grandpa's offer, thinking about all the other events that happened during the day. "You didn't have to do that," she said, thanking him. "Why did you reserve it?"  
  
"Oh, just that when you came out of the room the first time, you looked pretty shaken up. I thought another reading would clear you mind."  
  
"Thanks," she said. "Maybe another reading will figure out why I've been brought here," she thought to herself.  
  
"Uh, excuse me, Sensei," came a voice from afar. "When do we start my training again?" It was Chad. He was up on a tree branch with a blanket around his torso, a rope clutched in his hand.  
  
"I'll be up in a minute!" Grandpa called back, picking up his blanket that he had dropped upon the ground. "Go have your reading," said Grandpa to Raye before turning toward the tree that Chad was on.  
  
Raye complied, snickering as she made her way into the temple.  
  
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The flame rose halfway to the ceiling. Raye threw some dust upon the fire to raise it higher. She knelt before the flame in a praying fashion. "Fire Spirits," she said in her mind, "I need your help more than ever. I've walked through a doorway to a test I'm supposed to take. But I've came back to the place that I have started. Is this part of the test? If so, what do I have to do? I need your guidance. Please."  
  
She was repeating this message for a few minutes, and she was getting no response from the flames. She tried concentrating harder. When she did, the flames raised higher to the ceiling. A vision was outlined in the fire. It appeared to be an object of some sort. It was shaped like a circle, and had the characteristics of the planet Mars. However, the planet seemed to be incased in a red outer shell. Raye wondered what the object was.  
  
As the object appeared in the fire, a voice seemed to be reaching out to her as well. "OBTAIN THE MARS PLANET CRYSTAL," spoke a feminine voice. "TRUST IN YOUR POWERS. THE FIRE SPIRITS SHALL GUIDE YOU."  
  
As Raye heard these words, she thought she understood. "Okay," she thought. "So I have to retrieve a crystal that looks like that. But where do I look first?"  
  
Soon after she asked herself that question, the vision disappeared. About a minute after it did, a face appeared within the fire. However, it wasn't a vision. "Surprise!" the face yelled.  
  
Raye literally jumped back ten feet, surprised by the intrusion. "Who are you!?!" she yelled with a start.  
  
The person the face belonged to passed through the fire and landed on his feet. He was an odd looking person. He was wrapped within a yellow trench coat with a fireman's hat upon his head. A high pitched laugh passed his lips. "Most people call me 'The Fire Marshal!'" he boomed. "But you can call me 'FM'!"  
  
"I can think of a few names to call you," Raye muttered under her breath.  
  
"I heard that!" FM shouted. "You have no respect for authority, do you?"  
  
Raye stood up, spellbound by this guy's words. "I just came to tell you that this room is a huge violation of the Fire Marshal Code! You can't have a fire burning in the middle of the room!"  
  
Raye was shocked. "We're in a sacred temple!" shouted Raye at the top of her lungs. "The flame is sacred to us!"  
  
"So this is a sacred fire, now?" said FM. "All fires look the same to me. And this one definitely has to go!" With a wave of his hand, the sacred flame lowered until it was extinguished.  
  
Raye was enraged once he put the fame out. "You monster!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. "You have violated this sacred temple! I order you to leave now, or face the consequences!"  
  
FM looked around. "Oh, I put a sacred fire out!" he said, putting on a mask of embarrassment. "Don't worry, little girl. You can have all the fire you want!"  
  
FM raised his hand once again. This time, he set one of the temple walls on fire. Raye had to move out of the way to avoid his attacks. FM began to laugh again. "That's right!" he cried like a madman. "Have all the fire you need!"  
  
With that said, FM set two more of the walls on fire. Smoke began to fill he room. Raye had to duck low and place her face under the comfort of her temple robes to breathe. "This guy is insane!" she thought to herself.  
  
FM smiled as he threw flame upon the last wall of the room. "That's the big finish, darlin'!" he boomed. "Your trapped!"  
  
As Raye struggled to breathe with the smoke in her way, the words from her vision came to her mind. "TRUST IN YOU POWERS. THE FIRE SPIRITS WILL GUIDE YOU."  
  
Raye finally understood what it meant. "So this guy thinks he can use my own element against me, huh?" she thought to herself. "He's gonna get a taste of his own medicine!"  
  
Even with the smoke invading the room, she managed to stand. Once again, she held her hands together as she began to pray aloud. "Great and wise Fire Spirits," she began, "please give me the power to defeat this being who has invaded this temple. The evil must be destroyed!"  
  
She pulled a fire scroll from the inside of her robes. With her mind, she blessed it with another prayer. Once she was done, she placed it in a certain spot in the air. Once she let go, the scroll floated in place.  
  
The fire around the room then began to lessen. The scroll began to collect the surrounding flame and create a fireball around itself. FM was amazed at this spectacle. "What are you doing!" he shouted. "What is happening?"  
  
"The Fire Spirits are here to protect me," she muttered. "You cannot use fire to destroy me. Your end is near!"  
  
The fire around the scroll began to increase as the fire burning the walls decreased. Her constant concentration was necessary for her to keep the fireball together and not disperse around the room once again. FM was shocked. "This is impossible!" he screamed. "You can't do that!"  
  
Raye didn't say anything. The fire around the scroll kept growing and growing until it was as big as Raye's entire body, maybe even more so. The flame burning the walls was now extinguished.  
  
As soon as the fireball was complete, a new command began to form in her mind. With all her concentration keeping the flame in place, she uttered two simple words: "Nova Strike!"  
  
The huge ball of flame began to streak across the room, heading directly for FM. There was no way for him to dodge it. When the two collided, FM let loose a huge scream of pain as he burned and writhed with in the fire. As he was, the rest of Raye's surroundings began to burn away as well…  
  
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…until there was nothing left. The only thing that remained was a huge void that surrounded Raye. The void kept pulsing shades of red all around her. "Where am I?" she asked herself.  
  
Suddenly, a red object appeared before her. It was the Mars Planet Crystal. Raye gasped. "That's the crystal from my vision!" she shouted.  
  
"Yes, Raye," spoke a familiar voice.  
  
Raye was startled. "That's the voice from my vision!" she cried. "What's going on here?"  
  
A lone figure appeared a few feet away from Raye. A female, she wore Shinto robes just like Raye's, except they were all red. Her black hair was tied back in a bun. She took a few steps toward Raye. "Congratulations, my daughter."  
  
Raye didn't know what to think. "Daughter?" she asked. "I can't be you daughter!" Her head lowered. "My mother died…a long time ago."  
  
"But you were my daughter during the Silver Millenium," the figure said.  
  
Raye looked up, shocked. "Does…does this mean that you're…"  
  
"Yes, Raye," she said. "I am the Guardian of Mars. My real name is Selene."  
  
Raye didn't know what to say. Ever since her mother died when she was four, she never had a mother figure to look upon. Somehow, seeing her mother from long ago seemed a relief for her. "I…uh…I am really…uh,…pleased to…meet you," she stuttered nervously.  
  
"I can understand your nervousness, child," Selene said. "Sometimes there are no need for words in these types of situations. However, please take the crystal."  
  
Raye, noticing that she forgot the crystal suspended in the air, grasped it. She felt a warm feeling pass through her soul. "Did I…pass the test?"  
  
"Yes, my dear," Selene answered. "You have proved to us all that you have extraordinary spirit. You've also proven to us that when you trust yourself, you can achieve anything."  
  
Raye was happy, yet still an unknown feeling was inside her. "What's next?" she asked.  
  
"There is one more step," Selene responded. "Come with me."  
  
Raye walked over to where Selene was standing. When she reached her, Raye couldn't help it. She thrust her arms out and gave Selene a loving embrace. "Thank you…Mom!" she said, tears streaming down her face.  
  
Selene returned the hug that Raye had given her. "You are always so strong, my dear," she said. "It's all right to be weak for just one moment." Tears of joy began to appear on Selene's face as well. "It's good to see you again, Daughter!"  
  
Both mother and daughter wept tears of joy. As they did, they faded into the mist, approaching the last step.  
  
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CHAPTER 16  
  
Lita's dizziness wave passed quickly. However, her sight had been blurred considerably. She tried to focus, but to no avail. However, something appeared before her eyes that seemed clear. A green circle appeared, with what looked like the planet Jupiter trapped inside. A masculine voice soon started to speak. "OBTAIN THE JUPITER PLANET CRYSTAL!" the voice said. "ALL IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS! SAFETY IS THE KEY TO VICTORY!" Once the voice stopped talking, the crystal disappeared, and Lita's vision cleared up.  
  
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Lita inspected her new surroundings. She appeared to be in the middle of an unfamiliar cityscape. She also appeared to be the only person in it. There were no cars zooming down the street. There were no people walking down the sidewalk. The whole city was silent.  
  
Lita looked up at the sky, or what she could see of it. The entire sky was obstructed by dark clouds. Random flashes of lightning also struck the sky, however, with no thunder to support it. All these factors mixed in gave the town an eerie feeling to Lita. "This is so strange," she thought to herself. "I feel like any second now a ghost is gonna appear!"  
  
Within a moment, Lita could hear a crying sound come from behind her. She turned to face a darkened alley. She saw a lone figure running out of the alley. Lita deduced it was a small girl, not more than five years old. She wore a green coat and hat, definitely dressed for winter weather. Lita had noticed the drop in temperature from before she entered the portal.  
  
The girl was running blind, tears streaming down her face. She was heading straight for Lita. "Help!" she cried to no one in particular. "Help! She's after me!"  
  
The girl, with her eyes closed, ran right into Lita's leg. The slight collision left the girl upon her bottom, still sobbing. Lita rushed to her aid. "Woah," she said once the girl stopped running, "what's wrong, little girl?"  
  
The girl tried to get the words out from underneath her tears. "I'm…sob…not supposed'ta…sob… talk ta…sob…stranga's."  
  
"Strangers, huh?" said Lita, trying a new approach. "Well, my name is Lita. What's your name?"  
  
"Mi…Mi…Missy," the girl nervously said.  
  
"Well, Missy," Lita began again, "now that we know eachother's name, I guess we're not strangers anymore!"  
  
Missy managed to smile. "Hi, Lida!" she said.  
  
Lita smirked as well. "Anyway," she said, "What's wrong?"  
  
Missy's smile disappeared as quickly as it came. "There's a mean lady after me!"  
  
"Mean lady, huh?" asked Lita, concerned. "What does she looked like?"  
  
"My mommy," Missy replied.  
  
Lita was somewhat confused. "Your mommy's a mean lady?" she asked.  
  
"No," Missy answered, as if Lita asked the stupidest question in the world. "Mommy's the nicest person ever!"  
  
Lita once again tried a new approach. "I think you better tell me what happened."  
  
Missy began to explain in her own way. "Mommy and me were gonna go ta the store, and buy some popsicles. Then the evil lady came and took Mommy away! She disappeared! Then the evil lady turned into just like my mommy, and then says she is my mommy." Tears started to form in Missy's eyes again. "I didn't…believe her…I don't know where…Mommy is!" Her tears started to stream down her face as she cried once more. "I'm so scared, Lida!"  
  
Missy put her head upon Lita's shoulder. Lita put a hand on her back to try and console her. "There, there, Missy. Please don't cry. Shhhhh….I'll help find your real mommy if you want."  
  
Missy looked up into Lita's eyes. "Re…really?"  
  
"Yep!" said Lita triumphantly. "I'll do anything to help ya!"  
  
Missy began to smile again. "Oh, thank you Lida!" she cried, hugging Lita's arm.  
  
Soon, Lita began to sense a strange odor. It began to grow stronger with the passing moments. "Missy, do you smell something like…dead fish?"  
  
"Fish??" Missy shouted? Fear began to well up within her stomach. "Oh no! The evil lady is coming! The evil lady is coming!"  
  
"What?" said Lita, starting to get worried. "The evil lady?"  
  
"She's following me!" shouted Missy at the top of her lungs. "Help me Lida, please!"  
  
She began to clutch Lita's arm once again, this time for support.  
  
"Don't worry," Lita whispered into her ear. "I'll help you the best I can."  
  
"Missy!" shouted another voice from the alley. "Missy, sweetie!"  
  
"She's here!" whispered Missy into Lita's ear. "I'm scared!"  
  
Another figure stepped out of the shadows. She seemed to have a matching coat as Missy did, but she wore a rain hat instead of the pink one Missy wore. "Missy, my baby!" she shouted. "Oh, miss, I don't know how to thank you for finding my baby!" she said, referring to Lita.  
  
"From what I've been hearing," said Lita, standing up, "you're not Missy's mom at all!"  
  
The "mother" looked confused. "But I am her mother! You can't say that I'm not! Now let me have my daughter back now!"  
  
"Oh, please Lida," cried Missy. "Don't let the mean lady take me!"  
  
"I won't" said Lita, turning her gaze back toward the new figure. "Say, do you know how old your 'daughter' even is?"  
  
The figure had a tough time trying to think of her age. "She's four, of course!" she confidently said.  
  
"No I'm not!" shouted Missy. "I'm five! She's wrong, Lida! She's wrong!"  
  
"Look's like the game's over, you imposter!" shouted Lita.  
  
The "mother" began to grow angry. "You'll never escape your fates!" she suddenly exploded, reaching for a whip behind her back. When she brought it out, she cracked it once, sending a blue rug covering her body. The rug had a somewhat odd symbol on top of it. A few seconds later, it lifted, revealing a woman with light-blue hair and an odd blue dress. "I am Fisheye!" she triumphantly yelled. "Both of you will be destroyed!"  
  
"Ugh!" said Lita, holding her nose. "When was the last time you bathed?"  
  
Fisheye's face grew red. "That doesn't matter! I'm the greatest warrior in all the universe! And the master of disguise!"  
  
Lita smirked. "Now look, 'Mister', that disguise was good, but do you have to dress in drag?"  
  
Fisheye, his true gender revealed, became furious. "Okay! That's it! The girl is history!"  
  
Lightning sprang from his fingertips, heading straight for Missy. Lita, acting quickly, grabbed Missy and rushed her away from the blast. The lightning struck the pavement, creating a small pothole.  
  
Fisheye became angry. "You're going to pay for that!" Fisheye shouted. With that, he began to chase Lita and Missy, firing bolts of lightning as he went. Lita had Missy scooped up in her hands, running for her life. Missy was so terrified from the whole experience that she started to scream. This didn't help Lita much, but she could understand her feelings.   
  
Both Lita and Missy ducked into an alleyway as Fisheye passed them. Lita had to stop and catch her breath. Missy had stopped her screaming, but still clung to Lita for dear life. "Are you all right, kiddo?" asked Lita between breaths.  
  
Missy looked up. "I'm fine," she said weakly. "Is the evil lady gone?"  
  
Lita fell to her knees, catching her breath. "For now…I hope," she remarked. "Although…I think…it was a man, Missy."  
  
"A man?" asked Missy, confused. "Why did he have a dress on?"  
  
"I'll explain when you're older, kiddo," Lita said with a smile.  
  
Missy hung her head low. "Don't worry," said Lita, reassuringly. "I'm sure that the 'evil lady' doesn't even know we're here."  
  
"Wanna bet?" cried a sarcastic voice.  
  
It was Fisheye, already in the alleyway, cornering the two. "You said she was gone!" shouted Missy to Lita.  
  
"Well, kiddo," Lita said, "everybody makes a mistake sometimes."  
  
Fisheye just smirked. "You two are finished!" he shouted. And with a wave of his hand, all three of them disappeared.  
  
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When Lita came to, she and Missy were on top of a skyscraper. Fisheye hovered over them. "I'd be careful where you'd step," he cackled. "It's a fifty-story drop!"  
  
Lita scurried to her feet, Missy following close behind. Fisheye laughed as he once again launched bolts of lightning at the two.   
  
There were few places to hide upon the building's top, so Lita and Missy had a tough time avoiding all the lightning. "Missy is slowing me up big time!" Lita thought. "Not that I don't like the little gal, but I need to put her in a safe place. Then I can tear Fisheye a new one!"  
  
Thinking quickly, Lita saw a door that led to the inside of the building. She grabbed Missy's hand and started to run toward it. Once Lita opened the door, she motioned Missy to go inside.  
  
"You'll be safe in here, Missy," said Lita. "I'll take care of that evil lady!"  
  
"Okay," said Missy, unsure of herself.  
  
"Missy?" a voice echoed in the shadows. "Missy? Is that you, honey?"  
  
Missy turned around, noticing the voice was familiar. "Mommy?" she asked in disbelief. "Is that you?"  
  
A new figure stepped out of the shadows. It was a familiar looking woman in green coat and rain hat. "Oh Missy, your here!"  
  
Missy ran toward the woman. "Mommy!" she happily shouted. Missy and her mother hugged when they met. "Mommy, your okay! Hey, Lida," she said, looking toward Lita, "I found my mommy!"  
  
Lita was a bit skeptical. "Are you sure your the mother?" Lita asked her.  
  
"Yes," Missy's mother responded. "This monster came out of nowhere and put me here, away from my daughter. But now, she's here. And that's all that matters!" She hugged Missy again, seemingly bonding Missy to her body. "Did you take care of her?" she asked Lita.  
  
"Yeah, she was great," Lita responded. "I'm glad I could help. But for now, I'm gonna take on that monster myself!"  
  
The mother seemed shocked. "Are you sure?"  
  
Lita just smiled. "Hey, leave it to me! I can take her on with one arm tied around my back!"  
  
"Be careful!" Missy shouted as Lita once again stepped outside.  
  
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Fisheye spotted her almost immediately. "Are you ready for another round, stupid brat?" he yelled.  
  
Lita raised her fist in the air. "I'm ready for anything, Fish-face!"  
  
Fisheye sent another barrage of lightning bolts Lita's way. However, Lita's quick agility avoided all of the bolts. Fisheye became furious. He hurled a huge bolt of lightning at Lita, intending to hit her target.  
  
Lita ducked, letting the bolt strike a nearby lightning rod. Lita noticed that the rod had started to glow. Thinking quickly, she removed the rod from it's base, and started to walk toward Fisheye.  
  
Fisheye began to panic. He threw nearly everything she had at the girl. However, Lita seemed to keep absorbing Fisheye's attacks with the lightning rod. It also seemed to glow brighter each time lightning struck it. Lita eventually backed Fisheye up to a corner of the roof. With nowhere to run, Fisheye was trapped.  
  
Lita then pulled back the rod, and swung it towards Fisheye. The ball of the rod struck Fisheye in the face, electrocuting him severely. He tumbled off the building, screaming obscenities on the way down. When he hit bottom, it was Lita's turn to smile. "I'd be careful where you'd step," Lita mocked. "It's a fifty-story drop!"  
  
"Wow!" came a voice from behind her.  
  
Lita turned around to find both Missy and her mother standing behind her. Both had smiles upon their faces. "Those were some great skills you had there," Missy's mother remarked.  
  
"Yeah," Missy added. "You were great!"  
  
Lita put the lightning rod down on the ground as Missy ran toward her. Once again, Missy hugged Lita, this time as tight as she could. "Thank you for saving me," she whispered in Lita's ear.  
  
"No problem, kiddo," Lita whispered back. The hug lasted for a long time, until the world around Lita faded away, and all that she was embracing was the air.  
  
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When Lita realized it, she saw that the scenery around her had changed. Both Missy, her mother, and the cityscape were gone. The only thing that was surrounding her was a void, pulsing shades of green.  
  
Lita was confused, and somewhat angered. "What happened?" she asked herself. "What happened to everyone? Where's Missy?" As she walked around, her foot hit a stray object. It was the lightning rod. "Perfect," she thought, picking the rod up. "This doesn't make any sense."  
  
Suddenly, the ball of the lightning rod started to change. It changed to a small, green object as the stick melted away from Lita's hands. It took a moment for it to register in her mind, but she realized it was the object she was looking for. "It's the Jupiter Planet Crystal!" she shouted aloud. She grasped it tight, feeling a warm feeling pass through her. "All right! I got it!"  
  
"That's my girl," said a mysterious, yet familiar voice.  
  
Lita looked ahead, noticing someone else come toward her. He was a muscle-bound man, wearing no shirt to show off his pectorals. He wore a pair of green trousers with a gold belt, seeming to blend into the scenery as he moved. "Yep, I knew you could do it! No sweat!"  
  
Lita rubbed her eyes, thinking it was a mirage. "Do I know you?" she asked.  
  
"Hey, you know me…oh, yeah, that's right," he said catching himself. "That whole Imperium Crystal rebirth thing that Queen Serenity pulled. Anywho, let me introduce myself. I'm Richter, Guardian of Jupiter, and boxer-slash-wrestler extrordinare!"  
  
Lita seemed to be catching on. "Say, if your the Guardian of Jupiter, are we related?"  
  
"Yep," said Richter. "We were father and daughter during the Silver Millenium, you and I. Well, not in that order, but you get the idea."  
  
Lita giggled a bit. "I guess I know where I get my fighting instincts from!"  
  
"Oh yeah," Richter reassured. "You and I would train everyday! I'd hold the punchin' bag, and you'd rip it to shreds, We'd have a great time!" Richter than put a serious tone upon himself. "But now, you passed that test. I mean, not only have you done some good moves, but you've achieved a good balance. The safety of others come first. I'm real proud of you, kid."  
  
Lita smiled again. "Thanks," she said, somewhat lost for words.  
  
"Actually," Richter started again, "we gotta be somewhere now. I'll race you there!" Richter took off in the opposite direction that he was standing. Lita, accepting the challenge, took off after him, running into the mist.  
  
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NEXT TIME...  
  
Back at the Tsukino house, Serena's family is up very late, worrying about their little girl. While this is going on, it's Darien's turn to face his Guardian Trial!...or is it? 


	9. Chapters 17 and 18

AUTHORS NOTES  
  
DISCLAIMERS: Rights to Sailor Moon are owned by Naoko Taceuchi, Kondansha Publishing, Toei, DiC, Optimum Productions, Cloverway...am I forgetting anything?  
  
This story is supposed to provide an alternate story line to the Sailor Moon series. It starts after the Sailor Moon R series ends (the Death Phantom is destroyed and Rini goes home to Crystal Tokyo). The next events are of my own creation and do not relate to the Sailor Moon S series (at least not intentionally).  
  
I finished this fanfic over a year ago, before the S and SuperS seasons were dubbed in America. Please excuse any attack names that are DiC-ish, because that is what I had to work with at the time. ;) This story, after looking back, seems a cross between Japanese and American references. So, please excuse the term "Negaverse" as opposed to "Dark Kingdom", because the story focuses on Jedite.  
  
Anyway, please enjoy the story!  
  
@@@@@  
  
CHAPTER 17  
  
The time read two o'clock in the morning. However, to Irene, it seemed weeks. First, the burglar came in and gave everyone a scare. Now, Serena hadn't come home yet. At first, Irene didn't think anything about it. She went on these disappearing spells often, usually home before dinner. But that night, she didn't come home for dinner, or home period. Irene became worried.  
  
She had called the police at eleven o'clock to report her missing. The officer said he would call if anything turned up, but that was it. Now she waited by the door, half asleep, waiting for her daughter to return home.  
  
Serena's father walked up to Irene, with a grim look on his face. "Irene," he said putting his hand on her shoulder, "are you still waiting for her?"  
  
Irene sighed. "Oh, Ken," she replied, "what if it's because of me?"  
  
"What's because of you?" asked Ken.  
  
Irene's head lowered. "That she hasn't come back," she muttered.  
  
Ken took Irene's hand. "I know it's hard," he said, consoling her, "but we shouldn't blame ourselves. She's out there somewhere, and I know she's gonna come back safe."  
  
"I'm just so afraid," Irene said plainly, finally sitting down on the sofa. "Like you said, she's out there somewhere, but we don't know where. She could have joined a gang, or could've been kidnapped, or something worse! Where could she be? I'm so worried."  
  
"I know what you mean," said Ken, sitting down next to her. "But Serena's got a good head on her shoulders, even though she doesn't choose to use it that often." Irene managed to bring a smile to her lips, knowing this all too well from experience. "She's street-smart, and she knows how to stay out of trouble."  
  
Irene felt some reassurance pass through her as Ken spoke. What he said was true Serena was street-smart and she did have a good head on her shoulders. Yet, something was eating at Irene from the inside. "You're probably right," she said. "I mean, she did just turn fifteen two weeks ago. And they say wisdom gets stronger with age. But…" she stopped suddenly.  
  
"But what, Irene?" asked Ken.  
  
"It's…it's just this feeling I have," Irene responded. "I can't explain it. I just feel like something's wrong."  
  
It was then that both parents heard footsteps coming down the stairway. It was Sammy, rubbing his eyes. "What's goin' on?" he asked groggily. "What are you two still doin' up?"  
  
Ken was the first to respond. "Well, your mother and I were just up for a while…talking."  
  
Sammy could see past this a mile away. "You're both waiting for Serena, aren't you?"  
  
Irene smiled. "You're a smart boy, Sammy," she remarked. "How did you know?"  
  
"Well," Sammy began, "both of you are up in the middle of the night, and Serena's missin', so I kinda gathered."  
  
"Where do you think she is, Sammy?" Ken asked. "I just want your opinion."  
  
"I remember checking the arcade earlier," Sammy remarked. "I asked the guy that works there, Andrew, if he's seen her, but he didn't."  
  
"Did you check anywhere else today?" asked Irene.  
  
Sammy tried to remember the events from earlier in the day. "Oh yeah," he suddenly remembered, "I forgot to tell you! I checked one of her friend's houses. I didn't say anything, 'cause I didn't think it was important."  
  
"What happened?" asked Ken.  
  
"Okay," Sammy started, "well, I went to…um…what's her name? It began with an A…"  
  
"Amy?" asked Irene.  
  
"Yeah, that's it! Anyway, I went to her house. I asked Mrs. Anderson if she was there, but she said that Amy was missing, too!"  
  
"This is peculiar," remarked Ken.  
  
"We should check in with Serena's other friends in the morning," added Irene.  
  
Ken stood up. "Anyway," he started, "we should all try and get some sleep. We're not going to get anything accomplished sitting in our pajamas."  
  
"Your right," said Sammy. "Besides, when she does come back, she'll probably have half a cupcake in her mouth and already be out the door again!"  
  
Both parents chuckled slightly as they made their way upstairs, knowing Sammy was trying to shed some light onto the darkness of the situation. As they we're climbing the stairs, Ken noticed something else. "Say, has anyone seen Luna around lately?"  
  
@@@@@  
  
Sammy entered his room and closed the door, satisfied with his performance. With his mom and dad, he acted as if he was consoling them. But the truth was, he needed some consoling of his own.  
  
He couldn't sleep the entire night. Mostly because of the burglar scare, but still, as much as he hated to admit it, he missed his sister as well.  
  
He opened a desk drawer, removing a picture. It was from when he and Serena were on vacation. She had done one of her many movie star poses, while Sammy had put bunny ears on her. He sighed. "Hey, Meatball-head," he said aloud. He was looking at the picture, but talking to Serena, where ever she was. "Man, you really did it this time. Now everyone's lookin' for you. Look where ever you are, whatever you're doin', do us all a favor and come back." He hung his head low as a tear fell upon the picture. "I…I miss you."  
  
Sammy put the picture down and fixed his gaze upon another object. It was the Sailor Moon doll that his friend, Mika, had made for him. Sammy picked up the doll, and looked into it's eyes. "It's times like these that I'm glad that Sailor Moon's around," Sammy remarked. "If Serena's ever in big trouble, Sailor Moon'll save her…" Sammy stopped for a second. Something clicked in his mind. "Wait a sec'," he thought aloud.  
  
He picked up his picture of Serena and held it next to the Sailor Moon doll. He then began to compare the two. "Hmmm," he thought to himself. "They do look a lot alike. The eyes, that goofy hair style…"  
  
Within a moment, he had made a connection. "The hair!" he said aloud. "No one except Serena could come up with the same goofy hairstyle! I should have known. Serena's Sailor Moon!"  
  
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CHAPTER 18  
  
(Author's Note: For all you Darien lovers out there, this chapter could also be titled: "Too Much of a Good Thing.")  
  
A wave of dizziness passed over Darien, just like Artemis said. As it passed, he checked the surrounding area. It was pitch black; no light could be seen. "Where am I?" he asked himself. "I can't see a hand in front of my face."  
  
Within a few moments, he could hear voices. Two to be exact. Following the sound, he walked toward to approximately where the voices were.  
  
"Are you sure it's him?" asked the first voice.  
  
"Yes!" responded the second voice. "Prince Endymion has arrived!  
  
"What's he doing here?"  
  
"That's what I'm trying to find out! He's not supposed to be out of time like this!"  
  
"You don't think I know that?…Do you think he was expected?"  
  
"Believe me, no one is invited unless they are expected."  
  
"And the Master expects all who enter here."  
  
"Should we check with him?"  
  
"Yes, we should. Maybe he'll clear up the confusion we have."  
  
"Maybe we should turn on the lights as well?"  
  
"Yeah, that too."  
  
And then there was silence. With a moment, Darien could hear footsteps walking away from him, and a door slamming in the distance. "Who's the 'Master' they were talking about?" he thought. "And why did they refer to me as Prince Endymion? This isn't making any sense."  
  
As questions began to flood his mind, light began to filter into the place where he stood. He appeared to be in a small hallway. Doors appeared at both ends of the hall, and some along the walls as well. "Well, at least I know where I am," he said aloud. "The question is, where do I go from here?"  
  
Suddenly, he heard a mysterious, yet familiar voice cry out to him. "Darien!" it boomed.  
  
Somewhat startled, Darien looked to see where it was coming from. "Who's there?" he shouted. "Show yourself!"  
  
"All your questions shall be answered in time," the voice boomed again. "For now, however, time is of the essence." A small ball of light appeared in front of Darien. "Follow the light, and you will know."  
  
The light floated in front of one of the doors. Before Darien followed it, however, he took some time to think. "I know that voice," he thought. "I just can't place it." After a few moments of thinking, he decided the best thing to do was follow the mysterious light ball…  
  
@@@@@  
  
It seemed like hours as Darien's journey continued. The light he followed took him through several dozen rooms, hallways, and corridors. He was getting tired and winded as well. However, a strange feeling crept over him as he traveled through the halls. He felt as if he had passed through here before. He felt a feeling of security pass through him, as if this was his home…  
  
The light ball ceased it's movement in front a pair of double doors. Darien deduced that this was the place he needed to be. This was confirmed when he heard a voice coming from the other side. "Help me!" the voice screamed. "Somebody!"  
  
Darien recognized the voice right away. "Serena?" he said aloud. "Serena! Hold on! I'm coming!"  
  
With a rush of adrenaline, Darien thrust the doors open with his bare hands. He walked into a dark room, much like when he first entered the portal. However, there was one part of the room that was lit. A spotlight was shown on Serena, chained to a wall twenty feet in the air. From what Darien could see, she wore the dress of Princess Serenity, a shimmering white dress with current moons laced into the fabric. "Serena!" Darien called out to her.  
  
Serena looked down upon him. "Darien?" she asked in disbelief. "Is it really you?"  
  
"Yes, Serena!" Darien shouted back. "Hold one for one second and I'll get you down from there."  
  
"Are you sure you're not a clone?" she shouted back.  
  
There was a long pause before Darien answered. He was confused. That question came far out of left field. "What do you mean?" he asked.  
  
"Nothing, never mind," said Serena, a bit unsure of herself. "Uh, can you still change into Tuxedo Mask?"  
  
"Not at the moment," he said, not knowing where this conversation was going. "I thought you knew!"  
  
A sigh of relief passed through Serena's lips. "It is you!" she shouted with joy. "I'm sorry, but I just had to make sure."  
  
Darien smiled. "It's all right," he shouted back. "I'll get you down, somehow."  
  
"You're going to have to do it fast before 'they' come back!" she remarked.  
  
"Who are 'they'?" Darien asked.  
  
A look of fear appeared on Serena's face. "On no!" she shouted. "They're right behind you! Duck!"  
  
Darien heeded Serena's warning, crouching down low. Three objects whizzed over his head and punctured the wall in front of him. When the threat was over, torches throughout the room burst into flame, sending light throughout the room. Standing up, Darien went to expect the objects now protruding from the wall. They were three roses; one black, one white, one red.  
  
Darien turned to the opposite direction, facing three shadows. "Who are you!" he demanded.  
  
"You should know us Darien," cackled one shadow.  
  
"You are us," remarked the second.  
  
"And we are you," boomed the third.  
  
The shadows stepped more into the light, making them more visible to Darien. The first was the most familiar, donning a black tuxedo with a white shirt and black top hat. However, he had a black rose clutched in his hand, signifying he was the evil Tuxedo Mask.  
  
The second figure appeared much different. He wore robes of white with an Arab hood pulled over his head. A small dagger was strapped to a brown belt around his waist. In his hand, he held a white rose. He was the Moonlight Knight.  
  
The third's appearance also differed from the first two. He wore a royal suit with a sword strapped to his side. The suit itself had a violet tone to it, with a red cape hanging from the back. He clutched a red rose in his hand. Darien knew that he represented Prince Endymion.  
  
The Prince stepped forward, ahead of the other two. "We are your past, Darien," he said. "You must conquer us if you want to save your girl." The Prince made a couple hand gestures to the other two clones, preparing them to attack.  
  
Darien shifted into a fighting stance. "You may be my past," he shouted towards them, "but you're can't harm me. My past has never harmed me!"  
  
"Uh, I wouldn't be to sure about that!" shouted Serena, loud enough so all could hear.  
  
"You should listen to the lady!" cackled Tuxedo Mask, throwing his rose toward Darien.  
  
Using his instincts, Darien dodged the rose, and the battle began. The other two clones threw their roses as well, hoping to strike the intended target. Darien performed a forward somersault, out running and out gunning the two warriors.  
  
The Moonlight Knight then began to charge at Darien. Darien managed to catch the Knight with a sweep kick, sending him flat on his back.  
  
Then it was Tuxedo Mask's turn to charge. Darien tried the same maneuver, but Tuxedo Mask evaded. He jumped over the kick and managed to spring off a nearby wall as Darien rose. Tuxedo Mask was ready, kicking Darien in the stomach, and knocking him down with a fist to the face.  
  
With Darien down, both Tuxedo Mask and Prince Endymion stood over him. The Prince unsheathed his sword and prepared a final strike. Darien, seeing the sword was over his neck, countered this the only way he knew how: a low blow. The Prince, once the blow hit, staggered back in pain. Sweeping Tuxedo Mask off his feet with another sweep kick, Darien made an escape from the deadly situation.  
  
It was about this time that the Moonlight Knight came back to his senses. Realizing that brute force just wasn't enough, he reached for his dagger. Darien didn't see it coming as the Knight threw it at him.  
  
The dagger pierced the shoulder of Darien's jacket, pinning him to the wall. Luckily, the dagger didn't pierce the shoulder itself. Temporarily disabled, he noticed the three roses protruding from the wall beside him. An idea began to form in his mind. "If the white and black roses represent good and evil," he thought, "what would happen if I used them on their opposites?"  
  
Cautiously slipping out of his jacket, he made his way toward the three roses and grabbed the black one. He turned to face the clones, noticing that only two were making advances toward him. the Moonlight Knight seemed to be frozen in his tracks. Darien decided to use this to his advantage, throwing the black rose toward the fearful knight. The rose struck the knight's arm as he cowered in pain. As he did, both the Moonlight Knight and the rose vanished into the air.  
  
"Interesting," Darien remarked. "Symbols of good and evil cancel eachother out."  
  
The other two warriors started to charge at him. Darien took the white rose from the wall and concealed it as he performed more defensive maneuvers.  
  
Tuxedo Mask pulled out his cane and began to use it like a sword. Darien kept being pushed back as Tuxedo Mask made violent swings at him. Eventually he was backed into a corner with nowhere left to run.  
  
Tuxedo Mask held the cane close to Darien's neck. "Face it!" he cackled. "I'm the better man!"  
  
Darien only smiled. "That attitude will cost you your life," he muttered, revealing the white rose. Tuxedo Mask, realizing the danger he was in, took a few steps back. Darien grabbed his arm and thrust the rose into it, causing the clone to fade away.  
  
Darien had noticed that Tuxedo Mask's cane was still left behind. He decided to make good use of it as he headed toward the final clone.  
  
Prince Endymion, sword still in hand, began to thrust at Darien. Darien used the cane to parry. A practical sword fight erupted as both men tried their best to catch eachother off guard.  
  
Eventually the two locked their weapons, neither one of them budging. Darien saw this as the perfect time to get the edge. He kicked the Prince's sword out of his hand, sending it clattering to the floor. Kicking Endymion in the stomach, Darien scrambled to pick up the sword. He was the first to grab it, using it to corner the Prince.  
  
Darien breathed hard as he held the sword to the Prince's neck. "Let Serena go!" he muttered through his teeth.  
  
Prince Endymion looked into Darien's eyes. "You love her, don't you?" he asked.  
  
"I'll give my life to protect her," he muttered once again.  
  
Prince Endymion smiled. "In that case, I've seen enough."  
  
With that said, the whole room began to glow in front of Darien's eyes. He took a few steps back, not knowing what was going to happen next. The walls around him seemed to dissolve into a crystal material. The torches vanished as well, seeing the crystal produced it's own natural light. Darien was amazed by the change. Even Prince Endymion had undergone a metamorphosis. He had changed into a different man in a grayish-blue suit. A mask covered his eyes, as did Tuxedo Mask's.  
  
Darien recognized him from memory. Surprise and anger washed over him at the same time. "King Endymion?!?" he shouted. "All right, what's going on here!"  
  
King Endymion raised as a hand, as if to signal Darien to stop talking. "Before you draw any conclusions, Darien, please let me explain," he said in a calm voice. "The main computer had detected a temporal rift in the fabric of time. When I checked it out, I noticed that the past was altered somewhat when your new enemies had taken your powers. Seeing the Sailor Scouts were traveling through the portal to the final tests, I modified it from the thirtieth century to bring you here."  
  
"You mean I'm in Crystal Tokyo again?" he said in disbelief.  
  
"Yes, Darien," Endymion continued. "you're in the Crystal Palace. Anyway, since there was no official test for the powers of Tuxedo Mask, I wanted to test you myself and see if you worthy for new powers. And you have passed, just as I thought you would."  
  
"Thanks, I guess," said Darien, still somewhat unsure of himself. "It sure didn't look like the Crystal Palace when I came here."  
  
"We had to disguise the walls and objects to avoid any suspicion," Endymion explained.  
  
"I also heard a couple of voices when I came here," Darien remarked. "Who were they?"  
  
"They're just a couple of guards stationed around the palace," Endymion explained. "Don't be concerned."  
  
Then a voice from above began to speak. "Uh, excuse me, 'dearest'," she said, "but could you please get me down from here?"  
  
Darien looked above him, seeing the girl still chained to the wall. "Neo-Queen Serenity, right?"  
  
King Endymion started to snicker. "Right," he said. A control panel rose out of the floor from where Endymion was standing. He punched in a code, sending Neo-Queen Serenity back to ground level. "Sorry, sweetheart," he apologized.  
  
Serenity smiled as the shackles were removed. "It's all right," she said reassuringly. Once she was released from the shackles, she turned toward Darien. "It's an honor meeting you for the first time," she remarked.  
  
Darien smiled. "The honor is all mine," he said.  
  
Before she said anything else, she walked toward the last remaining rose sticking out from the wall and plucked it. She then brought it to where Darien stood. "I'm sorry, Darien," she apologized, "but I was on this little 'charade' as well. Rini wanted to be here, but it is well past here bedtime. She has really taken a fancy to her 'Tuxedo Mask'." She took the rose and held it out to Darien. "Take this," she said. "You earned it."  
  
Darien took the red rose that Neo-Queen Serenity had. The rose began to glow, and once again, Darien was clad in the familiar tuxedo. However, subtle differences could be distinguished from his old costume. His cummerbund was a golden color, and so was his lapel.  
  
"I feel more powerful than before," Darien remarked. "I don't know how to thank you."  
  
"Yes, your new rose does give you higher powers than the first one," said Endymion. "But there is no need to thank us. It is we who should thank you. It is the Sailor Scouts and yourself who saved us from certain doom. Please take these items of gratitude."  
  
Three items appeared in front of Tuxedo Mask's eyes. Endymion held up the first one. It was a special sword with a rose inscription upon the hilt. "This is the Rose Sword," he explained. "There is a button upon the sword's hilt that will turn it from sword to staff." Tuxedo Mask nodded, testing out his new weapon, changing it from sword to staff to sword again.. After a few minutes of practice, he strapped it to his side.  
  
Neo-Queen Serenity held the second item. "This is the Moon Lunar Staff," she explained. "Give this to my…counterpart. This is a thank-you gift from us for all she's done." Tuxedo Mask smiled as he held the weapon.  
  
"The last item is a message sphere," Neo-Queen Serenity explained. "It contains a special message for the two of you from the three of us."  
  
Tuxedo Mask smiled once more, picking up the dick-like object and placing it into his coat. It didn't seem look like an actual sphere, but maybe there was more to it than just it's appearance. "Thank you," he said. "I'll cherish these always."  
  
After the gifts were given, a new portal opened in front of Tuxedo Mask. "You must go now," said Endymion. "You have it ceremony to attend."  
  
Tuxedo Mask was confused. "A ceremony?" he asked.  
  
Endymion smiled. "Everything will be explained when you get there." After all the good-byes were said, Tuxedo Mask stepped through the portal. "Good-bye, my friend, and good luck," wished Endymion as the portal closed.  
  
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NEXT TIME...  
  
A ceremony? What can this ceremony be about? Well, before we answer that question, it's Serena's turn to face the most important Guardian Trial of all...  



	10. Chapters 19 and 20

AUTHORS NOTES  
  
DISCLAIMERS: Rights to Sailor Moon are owned by Naoko Taceuchi, Kondansha Publishing, Toei, DiC, Optimum Productions, Cloverway...am I forgetting anything?  
  
This story is supposed to provide an alternate story line to the Sailor Moon series. It starts after the Sailor Moon R series ends (the Death Phantom is destroyed and Rini goes home to Crystal Tokyo). The next events are of my own creation and do not relate to the Sailor Moon S series (at least not intentionally).  
  
I finished this fanfic over a year ago, before the S and SuperS seasons were dubbed in America. Please excuse any attack names that are DiC-ish, because that is what I had to work with at the time. ;) This story, after looking back, seems a cross between Japanese and American references. So, please excuse the term "Negaverse" as opposed to "Dark Kingdom", because the story focuses on Jedite.  
  
Anyway, please enjoy the story!  
  
@@@@@  
  
CHAPTER 19  
  
It took Serena a moment or two to recover from her dizziness. The entire world seemed to spin around her. She physically had to hold her head in one place to try and stop the spinning. "Woah," she muttered to herself. "what a trip!"  
  
Before Serena could explore her new surroundings, they seemed to slowly fade out of focus. However, a clear vision of the Imperium Silver Crystal appeared in front of the blurred scenery. A familiar voice began to speak. "YOU MUST REOBTAIN THE IMPERIUM SILVER CRYSTAL! YOU MUST MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE!"  
  
The vision of the crystal then vanished, allowing Serena's surroundings to come back into focus. She appeared to be in a domed structure with a small opening to the north of her. The domed walls spiraled with all the colors of the spectrum, swirling and changing, converging and dispersing in front of her eyes. However, Serena wasn't focusing on what was around her. "I know that voice!" she thought to herself. "Who was it…who was it…Dang! It's right on the tip of my tongue…"  
  
Her train of thought was halted suddenly when she heard a familiar voice echo in her mind. "Serena!" it called to her.  
  
Serena recognized the voice in a heartbeat. "Darien?" she called aloud. "Oh, no! I gotta help him!"  
  
Noticing the opening within the dome, Serena entered it. She proceeded to run down a long hallway, not knowing what to expect. She didn't know what kind of danger Darien was in, or where he was for that matter. But no matter what danger he was in, Serena would do anything in her power to help him. She would even walk through fire itself. Darien had saved her countless times, and knew that he would do the same for her.  
  
The hallway came to an end at another domed structure. This dome seemed to be identical to the one Serena first came to. "This is weird," she thought to herself. "Am I back to where I started?"  
  
Her question was answered by a noise behind her. She turned to see the opening to the hallway seal behind her. The walls seemed to close around the opening instead of using a door. Once the opening was completely sealed, it was as if there was no opening to begin with. "Great," Serena said aloud. "Just great. I'm trapped in here, I have to look for the Imperium Silver Crystal again, and I still don't know where Darien is!" She kicked the wall where the opening used to be. "What a great day so far!"  
  
The voice from before called to her again "Serena!" it shouted. "Help me!"  
  
Serena found it was closer than before. Once again, she turned around. Directly in front of her, she could see a lone figure. It was a man, clad in a tuxedo, shackles around his wrists.  
  
However, it was not the Tuxedo Mask that she had known. Instead, the man wore a tuxedo of light violet, equipped with a yellow cape. Long blonde hair peeked out from under the top hat. The top hat itself looked like the top was punched out of it. And to top it all off, he wore a lima bean-green mask. His yelling now took on a more sarcastic tone. "Oh, Serena!" he falsely yelled, "Help me! Help me! I'm so trapped! I need help! Serena! Help!"  
  
Upon seeing the false Tuxedo Mask in his mismatched costume, Serena's first reaction was an odd one: she burst out with uncontrollable laughter. She fell to her knees, trying to compose herself. "No way!" she shouted, drying her eyes from laughter tears. "You gotta be kidding me!"  
  
The man in the tuxedo looked up at Serena. "What are you laughing at?" he shouted in anger. "I'm Tuxedo Mask! Don't you recognize me?"  
  
Serena rose to her feet again, removing the last of the giggles from her system. "You're not Tuxedo Mask!" she shouted, seriousness returning to her voice. "He can't even transform back into Tuxedo Mask! How dare you fool me into thinking you're Darien! What have you done with him?"  
  
The tuxedo-clad figure's shackles disappeared from his arms, allowing free movement. "He's not here," he responded with no emotion.  
  
"Give me a break!" Serena shouted. "What have you done with him?"  
  
The man began to get angrier. "Nothing!" he shouted, reaching behind his back. He pulled out a whip, and cracked it once. A yellow colored rug covered his body from view for a second or two. When it rose, it revealed a blonde-haired male with an odd symbol on his forehead. The shirt he wore barely covered his stomach, and he wore yellow pants. A smile appeared upon his face. "I am Tigerseye!" he yelled triumphantly. "You can forget about your dear 'Darien', now that I'm around!"  
  
Serena's eye's bulged from her sockets. "Ugh!" she shouted in disgust. "When was your last trip to the mall?" Her eyes showed no interest in him whatsoever. "I'd never forget about Darien! Where is he, you creep?"  
  
Serena's reaction was quite a shock to Tigerseye. He was used to having women fall all over him. "You can forget about your Tuxedo Mask," he cackled. "I'm much more of a man than he is!  
  
"Not by the looks of it!" yelled Serena, inspecting Tigerseye's choice of clothing.  
  
Tigerseye began to grow furious. "Okay!" he shouted. "We're going to have to do this the hard way!" He lifted up his whip again and cracked it. "One!" he shouted.  
  
A huge wooden board rose from behind Serena. It caught Serena off balance, causing Serena to lay upon it.  
  
Tigerseye, happy that this finally shut the girl up, proceeded along with his routine. "Two!" he shouted.  
  
Shackles appeared upon the board and encased Serena's arms and legs, forcing her not to escape.  
  
Tigerseye had to physically restrain himself from saying "Three!", for this time it was not needed. "I have to stick with test," he thought to himself. He looked into Serena's eyes. "Now look, you're going to have to listen to me. Are you going to listen to me or not?!" he shouted.  
  
Serena's defense still held strong. "Do I have a choice?" she remarked.  
  
Tigerseye was inclined to agree. "No, you don't!" he shouted with glee. "Now," he began to explain, "number one: Darien IS NOT HERE!"  
  
"All right, all right," Serena said. "You made your point!"  
  
Tigerseye raised his hand once again, making a new shackle appear over Serena's mouth, much to her displeasure. He began again. "First, you reject me. Now you interrupt me! I'm going to keep you here until you decide to cooperate with me. I'm tired of these games. Will you?" Serena only nodded in agreement.  
  
"Very well," he said calmly. With a wave of his hand, the board and shackles disappeared, allowing Serena to stand on her own two feet.  
  
"Now, I can explain," Tigerseye began once more. "The reason that I am here is to give you have a choice to make. A choice between two things."  
  
Serena raised an eyebrow. "That's it?" A smile appeared on her face. "Wow, this is gonna be easy!"  
  
"Anyway," Tigerseye remarked, impatience washing over him, "you have to choose from which is behind Door #1, or Door #2." Two doors appeared on both sides of him, labeled respectively. "Now, whichever one you choose, you get to keep what's behind it. What you don't, will be destroyed. Do you understand?"  
  
"Do I find out what's behind the doors after I pick the one I want?" Serena asked.  
  
"Actually, I'll reveal the contents now, if you like," Tigerseye corrected.  
  
Serena was somewhat confused. "…All right," she said, unsure of herself.  
  
Tigerseye waved his hand in front of the first door, causing it to open. Serena was shocked at what she saw. Behind the first door were her friends, Amy, Raye, Lita, and Mina. All four of them were suspended within multi-colored crystals. All appeared to be unconscious.  
  
"My friends!" Serena gasped. She turned an angry gaze towards Tigerseye. "What have you done to them?!?"  
  
"Nothing," Tigerseye replied calmly. "They are all asleep."  
  
Tears began to fall from Serena's eyes, seeing her friends helpless. "What…what happened to them?" she uttered, barely able to get the words out.  
  
Tigerseye began to explain. "As they entered that portal you went through, they were intercepted by yours truly." He began to emit a high-pitched laugh. "When they saw how powerful and handsome I was, they had to bow towards me!"  
  
Serena looked disgusted. "My friends would never give up!" she shouted. "They would fight 'till the end!"  
  
Tigerseye laughed again. "Oh, they didn't give up voluntarily!" he cackled. "One raise of my hand, and the crystal trap was set! Your "Scouts" never knew what hit them!"  
  
Serena became furious. She created a fist with her right hand, and tried to throw a punch headed towards Tigerseye's face. Anticipating her move, Tigerseye snapped his fingers. A temporary shield was erected around his head, blocking the blow. Serena reared her hand back in pain; it was as if she was punching solid steel.  
  
Tigerseye raised a finger and wagged it in front of Serena's face. "Uh, uh, uh!" he cackled once more. "I wouldn't do that, 'Sailor Moon'! Do you want to end up like your friends?"  
  
Serena, realizing her position at the moment, had to comply. "All right," she said. "Besides, I know which door I'm gonna choose anyway."  
  
Tigerseye smiled. "I wouldn't be to sure about that, my dear," he said. With a second wave of his hand, the second door opened, revealing the contents within.  
  
Serena gasped at what had lain behind the door. Like the first door, all four of her friends were suspended within the same four crystals. Both doors had contained exact duplicates of her friends.  
  
Serena couldn't explain what was happening. "What the…" she whispered, trying to sort things out in her mind. . "My friends…both doors are the same…which door has my real friends?"  
  
Tigerseye grinned as he saw Serena deliberate with herself. "Well, that seems to be the question of the day, doesn't it?" he said cockily.  
  
"Wha…wha…WHAT'S GOING ON?" she shouted, finally able to speak.  
  
"What, you haven't figured it out, yet?" Tigerseye said. "One of these doors contain your friends. The other door contains a set of harmless clones. All you have to do pick the right door, and you get your friends back."  
  
"And…and what if I…choose wrong?" Serena stuttered, cringing at the thought.  
  
"Well that's simple," Tigerseye said with no emotion. "Your friends are blown to kingdom-come!"  
  
Serena thought for a moment, trying to let this situation sink in. She had to ask Tigerseye again, to make sure that with only a few words she could destroy her friends for good. "Okay," she said. "So, if I make the right choice, my friends go free?"  
  
"Of course," said Tigerseye, reassuringly. "You have my word no harm will come to them."  
  
"And if I make the wrong choice…you'll des…destroy them?" Serena could barely get the words out. She couldn't even think of the notion of her friends gone.  
  
Tigerseye looked shocked. "Hey, who said I was going to destroy them?"  
  
Serena was confused. "But I thought you said…"  
  
"I said," said Tigerseye, cutting her off, "that your friends would be destroyed if you make the wrong choice. I never said who or what would destroy them!" A twisted grin appeared on his face. "The task lies with you!"  
  
Serena nearly collapsed when she heard those words. "WHAT!" she shouted.  
  
Tigerseye let a high-pitched laugh pass through his lips. "That's right!" he said. "Only you can choose the fate of your companions! You get to destroy what you think is false!" An object appeared within his left hand. "Here, catch!" he shouted, throwing the item toward her.  
  
When Serena caught it, she recognized it upon inspection It was a round, golden object with a red oval in the center. "It's the…Moon Tiara!" she remarked.  
  
"Remember that, 'Sailor Moon'?" he cackled. "All you have to do is throw it at what you think is false. Heck, I'll even get you started!" With yet another wave of his hands, Serena's tiara solidified into an energy discus. "Now I'll return when your ready to do your little 'deed'. Make sure you pick the right one!" With another high-pitched laugh, Tigerseye disappeared from view.  
  
Holding her tiara in hand, Serena began to sweat profusely. The pressure was really on her now. One million emotions and scenarios played out in her head. She kept imagining what would happen if she made the wrong choice. She would have to live with the burden of sending her friends to an early grave. She couldn't live with herself if that happened.  
  
As she tried to concentrate, memories flooded her head as well. She remembered the good times that she had with the other Sailor Scouts. She remembered how they all met, how they became Scouts, the countless enemies they faced, and all the times they had won those battles. With all these thoughts circulating in her head, and the million voices that went along with them, Serena thought she would pass out.  
  
But soon, one voice rang out louder than the others. One sweet, clear voice that had greeted her when she came to this horrid place. "MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE, SERENA," the voice rang out. "MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE."  
  
It was then that Serena's thoughts became clear to her. All the confusion and worry cleared away, allowing her confidence to return. "Queen Serenity," she thought to herself. "Mother, I won't let you down!"  
  
"Hey, Tigerseye!" she shouted aloud. "You there? I made my choice! You can come out, now!"  
  
Tigerseye rematerialized in the middle of the two doors. He laughed once again. "Well, don't just stand there, throw the disk!" he cackled. "I just hope you made the right choice!"  
  
Serena smiled. "Oh, believe me, I made the right choice, all right!" She shifted into her fighting stance, preparing to make the 'right choice'. "Moon Tiara…MAGIC!!!" she shouted.  
  
She threw the energy disk with all her might with dead-on aim, heading straight for her target…the center of the two doors.  
  
Tigerseye didn't know what was happening until it was too late. When he saw the tiara heading his direction at blinding speeds, he didn't have any time to evade the attack. It struck him square in the chest, surrounding him with engulfing bright light.  
  
His strength held out to ask one last question of Serena. "Why…Serena…why…?"  
  
"My friends would never give up that easily!" she said, her turn to be cocky. "Besides, I knew both sets were fakes. I couldn't see them breathing." She did several hand gestures that up until now she only did as Sailor Moon. "In the name of the Moon, I punished you!"  
  
Tigerseye could do nothing but scream as the light from the tiara engulfed him completely. However, something unexpected happened. The scenery around Serena began to crack and break away. Explosions surrounded her as the dome began to collapse. She could only use her clothing to shield her as chunks of the domed ceiling rained down upon her…  
  
@@@@@  
  
Serena opened her eyes, fearing the worst. She thought she would see debris of the dome everywhere, maybe even a huge chunk trapping her as well. However, nothing remained of the dome. All that surrounded her was a void, the different shades of pink swirling all around her. Serena just stared ahead in disbelief. "Did I win?" she thought aloud. "Am I alive, for that matter?"  
  
"Very much so, my dear daughter," came a voice from afar.  
  
Serena recognized that voice from inside the dome. "Mother?" she asked aloud. "Is that you?"  
  
A woman in a familiar white dress with silver hair appeared in front of her. She had the familiar meatball hairstyle to go with it. She was Queen Serenity. "Serena," she said in her beautiful voice, "I'm so proud of you."  
  
Serena's eyes widened. "Was this whole thing the test?" she asked. "Did I pass it, Mother?"  
  
"Oh, Serena, still full of questions I see," Serenity remarked. "Yes, you passed."  
  
Overcome with joy, Serena practically danced around her mother from the past. "Yahoo!" she cried. "Yes! Yes! Yes! I actually passed a test! I passed! I passed!"  
  
Serenity began to laugh. "Woah, slow down Serena!" she said. Serena did as she asked. "As I was saying, I'm very proud of you. You have shown courage and merit far greater than I have seen in ages."   
  
An object appeared between the two. It was the Imperium Silver Crystal. "The Crystal!" Serena shouted, grasping it. "I got the crystal back!"  
  
Serenity smiled. "You earned it, my daughter," she said. "Now, time is short. We must be off to the ceremony."  
  
"A ceremony?" Serena asked. "What for?"  
  
"You'll see," Serenity said. She offered Serena her hand, a signal for her to take it. But Serena decided to put her arms around Serenity in an embrace.   
  
"Thank you, Mother," she whispered, "for giving me courage…for giving me life…for everything." Serenity returned the embrace as they both faded into the mist…  
  
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CHAPTER 20  
  
Luna and Artemis laid upon the park bench, waiting for some sort of sign. The Sailor Scouts had been gone literally for hours. The sun had set a while ago, and the stars were sparkling in the sky. Luna was getting worried. "Artemis?" Luna asked him, "do you think something went wrong during the tests?"  
  
Artemis lowered his head. "I hope not," Artemis responded. "They've been gone a long time."  
  
A wave of silence swept between the two for the next few moments. Neither cat could offer a word of consultation to eachother. Both didn't know what was going to happen.  
  
Soon after, the silence was broken, but not from words from either of the cats. A sound from behind them caught them off guard. A large doorway had appeared from where had been nothing before.  
  
Both cats turned behind them. "Luna!" Artemis shouted with joy. "The portal's reopened!"  
  
The portal flashed with the colors of all five Sailor Scouts, creating a wondrous display of beauty. A sweet voice came from inside. "Luna… Artemis…" it chanted.  
  
Luna gasped. "Queen Serenity!" she shouted.  
  
"The Sailor Scouts have done well," Serenity said in a joyous voice. "The time has come for the Guardian Ceremony."  
  
Both Luna and Artemis nodded. With happiness washing over them, both bounded toward the portal and entered it. Once they entered, the portal closed with an abrupt flash.  
  
@@@@@  
  
The next thing Serena knew was that she was lost in a mysterious thick blue fog. She also noticed that Queen Serenity was gone from around her arms. She was just embracing the vapor. "Queen…Queen Serenity?" she asked out loud. "Mother? Where'd you go?"  
  
Placing the Imperium Silver Crystal in her pocket, she spent a few moments wandering the fog, trying to get her bearings. She didn't feel any dizziness like before, so it was easier to explore. The only thing that seemed to obstruct her vision now was the fog she was traversing in.  
  
After a few moments of exploring, she began to hear a voice. "Elistar?" the voice exclaimed. "Elistar? Are you here?"  
  
This voice was unmistakable. "Amy!" Serena shouted with joy.  
  
After a small pause, Amy spoke again. "Se…Serena?" Amy yelled. "Is that you? I can't see much in this fog!"  
  
"Amy! It is you!" Serena yelled back. "Try and follow my voice, and I'll try and follow yours!"  
  
"I'll do better than that!" shouted Amy. She pulled out her computer, and started punching in different calculations, writing a new program. After a few moments, she finished typing and began to run it. A bright light began to emanate from the screen. "Okay, Serena!" Amy shouted. "Just follow the light!"  
  
Serena did as she was asked. As The light became bigger and closer, Serena could make out Amy's outline within the fog. When she was around ten feet away, she could make out Amy perfectly. It was then that Serena broke into a run. Amy, happy to see her friend once more, did the same. Both met in the middle, meeting with an embrace. "Oh, Amy," Serena said. "It's so good to see you again!"  
  
"It's great to see you, too," Amy remarked.  
  
The hug was broken off after a moment. "So, Amy," Serena started. "Let me guess. You passed the test, right?"  
  
Amy smiled once again. "Yes, I sure did!"  
  
"All right, Amy!" Serena said, congratulating her. "So what did you do?"  
  
"Well, I had to fight a mountain," explained Amy, trying to find the best way to put it.  
  
"Excuse me?" said Serena, "You had to fight a what?"  
  
"I'll explain later," said Amy. "But after I was through, I received this." She reached into her pocket and pulled out her prize from the test. "It's the Mercury Planet Crystal."  
  
She handed it to Serena, admiring the beauty. "Wow," Serena said in amazement. "It's got a model of Mercury and everything!" She handed it back to Amy, who pocketed it once more.  
  
"So, Serena," Amy said. "Did you pass your test?"  
  
"I did!" exclaimed Serena enthusiastically. "I can't believe it myself."  
  
"Let me write something down," said Amy, typing on her computer once again. "Today, on this date," she typed, "Serena actually passed a test."  
  
Serena knew this was sarcasm. "Gee, Amy, I never get to see how funny you are! You're a laugh riot!"  
  
Amy giggled. "Well, you have to admit that it isn't every day that you pass a test. But anyway, congratulations!"  
  
"Thanks, Amy," said Serena, reaching into her pocket. "I got the Imperium Silver Crystal back, too!"  
  
"Great!" said Amy, knowing that it was a great achievement within itself. "What did you have to do?"  
  
"Well, I just had to…"  
  
Her explanation was cut off by another voice in the background. It was to the left of where they were standing. "Lana?" it called. "Lana, where'd you go! Lana!"  
  
"That's Mina's voice!" Amy remarked. "I'll call her over here."  
  
"No, wait a sec," halted Serena. "I got an idea. Let me see your computer."  
  
Reluctantly, Amy handed the device to Serena. She flashed the light emanating from the computer screen towards where Mina's voice came from. "Miiiiiiiiiiiiina Aiiiiiiiiiinnnoooooo!" she said in a booming voice. "Cooooome to the liiiiiiight! Cooooome to the liiiiiiight!"  
  
Mina turned around, seeing the light flash in the distance. "Who's there?" she yelled.  
  
"It's us!" shouted Amy. "Serena's just goofing off!" Serena was a tad angry that Amy blew their cover.  
  
"Guys!" shouted Mina, running toward the twosome. She nearly ran into Serena thanks to the thick blue fog. But both girls managed to stay upon their feet. "All right!" she exclaimed. "You're both here!"  
  
"Yep," said Serena. "We both passed the test!"  
  
"Wow," said Mina, somewhat stunned. "Serena passed the test! Okay, Serena passed the test….Serena passed….no matter how many times I say that, it still sounds weird."  
  
"You're real funny, Mina," remarked a sarcastic Serena. "Hardy har, har."  
  
"Well, I passed the test, too!" she held out the orange crystal she received. "And I got the Venus Planet Crystal to prove it!"  
  
Before Mina could say much else, another voice was heard, this time to the right of them. "Mom?" the voice yelled. "Where are you, Mom?"  
  
"That's Raye!" Mina said. She began to shout towards the direction Raye was in. "Raye! Over here!"  
  
Raye turned to see a light within the blue fog. "Mina?" she yelled. "You're here, too?"  
  
"Plus Serena and I," added Amy.  
  
"Just follow the light, and you'll find us!" shouted Serena.  
  
As told, Raye followed the light. Once she got there, the foursome hugged once again. "So did you all pass the test?" Raye asked. "I did."  
  
"So did the rest of us!" Serena exclaimed.  
  
"Raye smiled. "Now here's a switch," Raye remarked. "Serena actually…"  
  
"I get it, okay," Serena shouted, tired of all these jokes on her behalf. "I already got enough from Amy and Mina!"  
  
"I got the Mars Planet Crystal," said Raye, pulling it out from under her robes. "So, what did everyone do on their tests?"  
  
Before anyone could answer, Amy held out her hand. "Hold on," she said. A red light began to beep on her computer. "I'm detecting another figure approaching us at alarming speeds!"  
  
The group could see the shadow outlined in the blue fog. "Come back here, Richter!" she exclaimed. "Where did you…"  
  
The shouting was cut off, when the figure collided into the group, accidentally tackling Raye and Mina to the floor. Serena and Amy were able to recognize her when the hullabaloo was over. "Lita!" they both shouted.  
  
Raye was the next to speak. "Nice goin', Ace!" she muttered in pain. "Could you please get offa me!"  
  
Lita slowly staggered to her feet, with Raye and Mina afterwards. "Sorry, guys," she apologized. "Guess I got carried away." The rest of the characters face faulted as Lita laughed it off. "So, uh, did everyone do good on the test?"  
  
@@@@@  
  
It was soon after this that everyone began to explain their adventures in the strange realm of the testing grounds. Amy told the story of how she out-smarted a mountain creature. Mina was next with the evil talent agent/Hawksseye and how Mina was able to choose between friends and fortune. Raye told how she defeated the evil Fire Marshal using scroll and psychic powers. Serena interjected that she would never cross Raye on a bad day again. Lita told how she saved a young girl from an monster called Fisheye. Serena was the last to go, explaining the difficult choice she had to make, and how Tigerseye made it even harder. And all recounted the experiences with their elders of the Silver Millenium. Each girl had a crystal to show, proving they had earned the right to come this far.  
  
"This is so great!" Serena said. "The Sailor Scouts are back together again!"  
  
"Remember," said Amy, "we're probably going to have to call ourselves 'Sailor Guardians' now. Remember what Luna and Artemis said?"  
  
"It's going to be hard saying 'Guardian Venus' instead of 'Sailor Venus'," Mina said. "I'm still gonna call everyone 'Sailor' instead."  
  
"I agree," added Lita. "It's easier that way."  
  
"Yeah," muttered Raye, who was pretty much silent during most of the conversation. "But only one thing's got me confused."  
  
"What's that?" asked Mina.  
  
"Well, all our 'parents' disappeared once we came here," Raye said. "I wonder why that is?"  
  
"Wait a sec," said Serena, recalling what Queen Serenity had told her. "I think Queen Serenity said something about a…ceremony…or something that we have to be at."  
  
"A ceremony?" asked Lita. "What for?"  
  
"Maybe it's to officially say that we had passed the tests," Amy guessed.  
  
"Maybe," said Raye, considering the possibility. "I'm just a bit skeptical."  
  
At this time, the individual crystals began to glow they're respective colors. They began to float out of the hands of the Sailor Scouts, grouping together several feet into the air. The Scout's could only watch as they began to form a circle in the air.  
  
"Hey, Raye," Lita muttered to her, "I think you got a reason to be skeptical now."  
  
The crystals then broke off from their circle, and proceeded to float into the distance. The fog then began to dissipate. Once the fog was gone, the Scouts could finally see the where their guardians had led them. Broken pillars and ruins surrounded their location. In the distance, they could see the ruins of a palace. They had returned to the ruins of the Moon Kingdom, of the Silver Millenium.  
  
The Scouts could only marvel of what was around them, not able to take it in the first time they arrived. Nobody said a thing, for there was no need for words. When they looked to see the palace, they saw five objects outlined in the distance. They were the Crystals, lined up at key locations from left to right: Mercury, Venus, Imperium, Jupiter, and Mars.  
  
The crystals then began to emit beams of concentrated light that headed downwards toward the floor. When the beams struck, the symbols of the planets, and a crescent moon appeared on the ground.  
  
"Stand upon your respective planet symbols," spoke a voice from afar. "The ceremony is about to begin!"  
  
"Who was that?" asked Amy.  
  
Serena recognized the voice immediately. "Queen Serenity!" she remarked, proudly. "She's the one who brought us back here. Now we have nothing to worry about!"  
  
"Well," Mina said, "I guess it's time…"  
  
"…to face our destinies," Raye finished.  
  
"Well, lets go!" Lita shouted, energetic to finish this event.  
  
Each of the Sailor Scouts slowly walked towards the five symbols glowing on the ground, doubts pushed away from their minds at last. Each person stood upon a planet symbol, underneath their respective crystals, and the ceremony began.  
  
About twenty feet in front of them, a white spotlight appeared. Standing within it were two familiar feline figures.  
  
"Luna!" Serena shouted.  
  
"Artemis!" shouted Mina.  
  
"Hi, guys," said a joyous Artemis.  
  
"It is good to see you again, Sailor Scouts," said Luna with a tear in her eye.  
  
"Today," Artemis began, "you've taken your final step in your training. You've become full fledged Sailor Guardians!"  
  
"We're so proud of you all," Luna commented.  
  
"As well as the rest of us," said a voice within the background.  
  
"Elistar!" Amy shouted. "So that's where he went!  
  
The crystals above the Sailor Scouts began to glow once more. Each one of them repeated the process of before. Floating off into the distance, forming a line, and emitting beams of light from before. However, the order of the crystals differed: Mars, Jupiter, Imperium, Venus, and Mercury.  
  
Once the crystals emitted the light beams, the same five planet symbols were created. However, five figures stood directly across from them. The first wore Shinto robes that had looked like Raye's, only a different color scheme. The second was very well built, wearing only a pair of green pants. The third was a beautiful woman with crescent moons sewn into her dress. The fourth wore an orange, strapless dress with blonde hair almost touching the floor. The fifth was an elderly man, wearing blue robes and carrying a staff to lean on. These were the Sailor Scout's ancestors. These were the Guardians of the Planets.  
  
"Greetings, my children," greeted the man within the blue robes. "We must all introduce ourselves to begin this ceremony. I am Elistar, Guardian of Mercury."  
  
The woman in the strapless dress was next. "I am Lana, Guardian of Venus."  
  
The woman in the Shinto robes spoke next. "I am Selene, Guardian of Mars."  
  
The man with the well built physique was the next to speak. "I'm Richter, Jupiter's Guardian."  
  
Finally, woman in the center with the crescent moon dress spoke. "And I'm am Queen Serenity, Ruler of the Silver Millenium." The girls were happy to see their parents once again.  
  
"We are you elders from the past," began Elistar.  
  
"We are the Planetary Guardians," continued Lana.  
  
"We have protected our respective planets with our spirits for centuries," continued Selene.  
  
"We didn't let any evil forces get through!" continued Richter.  
  
"And, now," Queen Serenity finished, "it is time to pass this duty, and this power, onto the five of you."  
  
A bright light began to flash into the background, mostly for dramatic effect. Serena and the rest were mesmerized by this. Soon after this, Serena noticed that her clothes were fading from here body. Embarrassed, she threw her arms over her chest. However, it wasn't needed. Pink ribbons flew around her body, much like when she transformed into Sailor Moon. However, the ribbons seemed to hover around her and cover most of her. Looking around her, she noticed her friends the same way; Amy with blue ribbons, Mina with orange, Lita with green, and Raye with red.  
  
Queen Serenity continued the proceedings. "The five of you are now ready to receive the Guardian Powers," she said.  
  
The Mercury symbol under Amy began to move with Amy along with it. She had moved in front of the Sailor Scouts, and the center of the area. Elistar and Queen Serenity began to switch places in the same fashion. Both met within the center of room.  
  
"My dear Amy," Elistar began, "your intelligence and bravery in the face of danger is unparalleled to any of which I've seen." The Mercury Planet Crystal began to descend from the sky, with a golden apparatus forming around it. When the crystal reached Elistar's hands, it had transformed into a wand. It had a handle of solid gold, with the symbol of Mercury etched onto it. The crystal lay at the top, energized with pure energy. "Amy," Elistar began once more, "I bestow to you the 'Mercury Planet Power'!"  
  
The newly created wand within Elistar's hand flew into Amy's. She clutched it, and closed her eyes. The ribbons around her body began to fly around her, just like when she transformed into Sailor Mercury previously. The ribbons flowed like water, encasing her in a familiar Sailor suit. The basic design was the same, but there were differences in her appearance. She wore the same blue boots, but her gloves had also donned the same blue color. A gold stripe streaked the bottom of her skirt, the bow on her back was longer, the broach in the middle of her chest bow had the symbol of Mercury etched on it, and her tiara had the Mercury symbol in the middle as well. "Congratulations, Guardian Mercury!" Elistar announced.  
  
Amy could hardly believe her eyes. Not only had she gotten her powers back, she had become more powerful than before. Elistar grasped Amy's and began to shake it. Without any words though, Amy reached out her free arm and hugged Elistar. Elistar returned the hug with joy. Amy remained speechless as she floated back toward the line of Scouts.  
  
Raye was next. She floated towards the center as Elistar and Selene switched places. Selene looked into Raye's eyes with love and happiness. "Raye, my daughter," she began. "You have proven that you have extraordinary spirit. The spirit inside you has reached out to your friends in the form of your kind words and undying devotion. You have earned this right." The Mars Planet Crystal began to descend, a gold apparatus attaching onto it as well. It reached Selene's hands, becoming a wand. The solid gold handle had the symbol of Mars etched onto it. Upon the top lay the crystal, new energy surging through it. "Raye," Selene began again, "I bestow to you the 'Mars Planet Power'!"  
  
The wand then left Selene's hand, and flew into Raye's. When she clutched it, the ribbons surrounding her became streams of fire, enclosing her in her familiar Mars costume. She noticed subtle differences as well. Like Guardian Mercury's costume, her gloves were now red in color, a gold stripe appeared at the base of her skirt, and the bow upon her back appeared to be somewhat longer than before. Upon her broach and tiara was the symbol of Mars. "Congratulations, Guardian Mars!" Selene announced.  
  
Raye felt her strength increase to at least ten times of what she felt with her old power. Raye reached out and put her arms around Selene's waist one more time. Selene returned the embrace and whispered something into Raye's ear. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered.   
  
"Thanks again, Mom," Raye whispered back. Raye smiled as she floated back toward the line of her friends.  
  
It was Lita's turn next. She took Raye's place in the center of the room as Selene and Richter switched places as well. A half smile appeared upon Richter's face as he spoke. "Well, kid," Richter began, "strength comes in many forms. You showed many of 'em, if not all of 'em, to me today." The Jupiter Planet Crystal began to float into his hand, a golden wand forming upon it as well. When it reached Richter's hand, the solid gold wand attached to the energized crystal, Jupiter symbol etched on the handle. "Lita," Richter began again, "I bestow to you the 'Jupiter Planet Power'. Catch!"  
  
Richter, instead of letting the wand float out of his hand, simply tossed it to Lita. When she caught it, the ribbons became lightning, streaking across her body and encasing her in her Sailor Jupiter costume. Like the other Scouts, the same differences were noticed. The gold stripe, the length of the bow, the colored gloves, which were green in her case, and the places of the Jupiter symbol. "Congrat's, Guardian Jupiter!" Richter announced. "I'm proud of ya, kid," he added.  
  
As Lita felt the new power surging through her, she felt like she could take on one hundred clones of Lilithite and not even break a sweat. She and Richter hugged, and Lita thanked Richter for all he had done. She smiled as she took her original place with her friends.  
  
Mina was the next in line. As with the others, she took her place front and center as Richter and Lana switched places. When Mina and Lana met in the center, both smiled. "Mina," Lana began, "with your love and strength, you have made friendships that will last to the ends of time. Your title, 'Goddess of Love', fits you perfectly." She and Mina giggled a bit as the Venus Planet Crystal began it's descent. It reached Lana's hands with yet another golden wand attached to it. The wand had the symbol of Venus etched upon it, with the crystal resting on top. "Mina," she began once again, "I bestow to you the 'Venus Planet Power'!"  
  
The wand floated out of Lana's hands and into Mina's. Once Mina took possession of the wand, the ribbons around Mina morphed into long chains of hearts, much like her Love Chain spell. The hearts enclosed around Mina's body, encasing her in her Sailor Venus uniform. But like the others, there were differences in her costume. A gold stripe streaked the bottom of her skirt, she wore orange gloves, the bow and her back seemed longer, and the symbol of Venus appeared on both her tiara and broach. "Congratulations, Guardian Venus!" Lana announced.  
  
Mina felt the strength of the crystal surge through her body. She felt incredibly powerful, like she could take out the same mountain that Amy had fought. She and Lana hugged, and after which, Mina floated back towards the line.  
  
The time had come for Serena to accept her power. As she floated to the center, she felt the ribbons around her disappearing. In their place, was a white, flowing dress with crescent moons laced into the fabric, much like Queen Serenity's dress. When she reached the center, Lana and Queen Serenity switched places.  
  
"Oh, Serena," Queen Serenity began. "I am so proud of you. Of you and your friends," she said, motioning to the Scouts in the background. "All of us have watched you from above. We watched you grow up and mature this past year. You have changed so much since the first time you received your powers. And now, it is time for you to take your final step. However, it is not me who should present it to you."  
  
Serena seemed a bit shocked. "What? Why?"  
  
Queen Serenity only smiled. "You'll see," she said, floating towards the background.  
  
When she reached the other elders, a new figure teleported into the ceremony. He took a few steps toward Serena so that she could recognize him. She had when she saw the glint of a red rose in the distance. "Darien!" she shouted in joy. He took a few more steps toward her, and she saw that he was clad in the familiar black tuxedo she always fantasized about. "Hey," she said, "you…you turned back into Tuxedo Mask!"  
  
Tuxedo Mask smiled. "Yes, my sweet Serena," he said. "And now, it is your turn."  
  
The Imperium Silver Crystal, which had hung over Queen Serenity's head, began to float above Tuxedo Mask before it began it's descent. As it was, Tuxedo Mask threw the red rose clutched in his hand at the crystal. When the rose made contact with the crystal, the crystal began to change shape.   
  
The spherical crystal began to branch out somewhat, forming what looked like petals. The crystal also developed a pinkish tint. When the crystal reached Tuxedo Mask's hands, it had taken the form of a rose. Serena was astonished.  
  
Soon after that, Tuxedo Mask held a new object within his hand. It took on a heart shape. He took the newly created Imperium Silver Rose Crystal and placed it within the heart. After that was done, the heart closed around the crystal. He had created a new broach. Tuxedo Mask looked up when all was said and done. "Serena," he began, "on behalf of Queen Serenity, and the entire Moon Kingdom, I present to you the 'Moon Lunar Power'!"  
  
The new broach floated out of Tuxedo Mask's hand and into Serena's. The broach flashed the colors of the five scouts, and Serena began to transform once more.  
  
Pink ribbons flew out of the broach, encasing her arms and legs in red gloves and boots. Her Sailor suit now seemed the same, except for the new broach in the middle of her chest bow, her longer bow on the back, and a gold stripe on the bottom of her skirt. Her tiara next with the crescent moon symbol in the middle, and the circles on her meatballs not long after that. She had once more become Sailor Moon.  
  
Queen Serenity then took her place back in the line, Tuxedo Mask along side her. "Congratulations, Guardian Moon!" she announced.  
  
Serena's next actions were something she just couldn't help. She ran over to Queen Serenity and gave her a tight hug. The Queen had returned the embrace as well. When the hug ended, Tuxedo Mask had interjected. "Oh, I almost forgot," he said, reaching under his tuxedo jacket.  
  
Sailor Moon looked on as he pulled out some sort of long wand. "This is the Moon Lunar Staff," Tuxedo Mask announced. "I acquired this when I…got my powers back."  
  
He handed the staff to Sailor Moon, who marveled at the new weapon. "Wow," she said in awe. "Thanks, Tuxedo Mask! But, how did you get your powers back?"  
  
Tuxedo Mask smiled. "I'll explain later." Accepting this, Sailor Moon just took a hold of his arm as both of them floated back towards the line of newly powered Scouts.  
  
Queen Serenity spoke again. "You are now officially the Sailor Guardians, my children!"  
  
"May these powers serve you well," Elistar added.  
  
The Sailor Guardians and the two cats now crowded around eachother, congratulating and celebrating.  
  
"Wow!" Sailor Jupiter shouted. "I can't believe this!"  
  
"I never dreamed of this power!" Sailor Mars added.  
  
"I feel like I've been totally reborn!" Sailor Mercury commented.  
  
"I'm just glad we got our powers back!" Sailor Venus added.  
  
Sailor Moon raised a fist into the air. "Now we can tear Jedite and Lilithite apart!" she shouted.  
  
"Oh yes," said Selene. "Those two."  
  
All the Guardians looked back at the elders. "I sense that they have returned to Earth," Selene added.  
  
"What?" said Sailor Venus.  
  
"Yeah, afraid so," added Richter. "See for yourselves."  
  
A circle was outlined in thin air. All the Scouts looked into it. In the vacant lot, Lilithite stood. Behind her were several ogre monsters and even more creatures dressed in black armor. "Oh, no!" Amy said. "Their going to attack Earth!"  
  
"Well," said Sailor Moon, "now that we got new powers, we can take care of all those guys and still be home in time for dinner! You with me!"  
  
"Yeah!" cried the rest of the Guardians.  
  
"I'll open a portal so you can travel to the same time and place when their going to attack," said Queen Serenity. "Just remember to take care of yourselves."  
  
"We will," said Sailor Moon. "Thanks again."  
  
"Your welcome, my daughter," said the Queen, raising her hand.  
  
A portal opened up to the left of the cats, Tuxedo Mask, and the Sailor Guardians. They could see a cityscape through the other end. Each of the Guardians took a last look around them, and the elders. Once everyone said their good-byes, each stepped through the portal, ready to face their worst enemy.  
  
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NEXT TIME...  
  
The Sailor Senshi are teleported back to Earth to seek out and destroy Jedite...but nothing is there? Also, the training grounds are set for Negaverse's reentrance, and the Seven Generals of the Apocalypse to lead them! 


	11. Chapters 21 and 22

AUTHORS NOTES  
  
DISCLAIMERS: Rights to Sailor Moon are owned by Naoko Taceuchi, Kondansha Publishing, Toei, DiC, Optimum Productions, Cloverway...am I forgetting anything?  
  
This story is supposed to provide an alternate story line to the Sailor Moon series. It starts after the Sailor Moon R series ends (the Death Phantom is destroyed and Rini goes home to Crystal Tokyo). The next events are of my own creation and do not relate to the Sailor Moon S series (at least not intentionally).  
  
I finished this fanfic over a year ago, before the S and SuperS seasons were dubbed in America. Please excuse any attack names that are DiC-ish, because that is what I had to work with at the time. ;) This story, after looking back, seems a cross between Japanese and American references. So, please excuse the term "Negaverse" as opposed to "Dark Kingdom", because the story focuses on Jedite.  
  
Anyway, please enjoy the story!  
  
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CHAPTER 21  
  
Lilithite looked around her. "Some place for base camp," she thought to herself, "but I guess it's a start." She stood in the middle of the vacant lot where the "final" battle with the Sailor Scouts took place. Jedite ordered this place to be first base camp for the Negaverse invasion. To her, it was a bit small, but she had to abide by Jedite's decision.  
  
She looked upon the left side of the lot first. This was where the Shadow training took place. The Shadows were soldiers who wore black armor. This was the brunt of the Negaverse's attack power. The Seven Generals of Apocalypse were to lead them on this glorious mission.  
  
Honbor, the yellow ogre of the Generals, led the Shadows through various exercises to get them in better shape. She noticed that he was very strict, using a drill sergeant's tone to toughen them up. She liked that. His methods would make sure that the Shadows would not break under pressure, and stay totally loyal to the cause.  
  
The other six Generals of Apocalypse had finished their training regiment for the day. They were on the right side of the lot, resting and eating their daily rations by their tents. Jedite had supplied all of the camp well, sending them meaty helpings of beef and creatures from other worlds. His thinking was that you send your soldiers through a brutal day of training, and reward them with a big meal afterwards. The Generals ate better than the Shadows, but that was to be expected. This was to keep the soldiers of war loyal as well.  
  
After seeing all of this, she was glad that Jedite had placed a spell around the camp, making it seem invisible to outsiders. This cloak would give the Lilithite and the Generals enough time to start the invasion. After observing the goings-on, she made her way towards the Generals themselves. She came in the middle of a conversation three of the Generals were having.  
  
"I just don't get it," said Porthos, the violet ogre of the bunch, taking a bite out of a creature from who knows where. "Whhh duh whe hahv'ta tuwain hera?"  
  
Witech, the indigo ogre, sighed. "Porthos, please don't talk with your mouth full. It sickens me."  
  
Porthos swallowed and began again. "Sorry to offend you, Witech, but as I was saying, why do we have'ta train her on Earth? We could've stayed in the Negaverse and trained there with much better equipment and stuff like that."  
  
"Because," started Gerchon, the green ogre, "it was part of Emperor Jedite's orders. We are to train here to gain the feel of Earth, to gain the smells, the sights, sounds, and experience here. It is this way so we can have a better understanding of how these humans think, and a better understanding of how to destroy them."  
  
"That's right," came a voice from inside a tent. It was Ragor, the red ogre and leader of the Generals, stepping out to join them. "It is all part of Emperor Jedite's plan."  
  
"Ragor!" shouted Gerchon. "Apocalyptic Salute!"  
  
Each of the three Generals took showed the Apocalyptic Salute towards Ragor as a sign of respect. Ragor performed it was well. "At ease, my friends." Taking a look to his left, he noticed that Lilithite had joined them. "Em…Empress Lilithite!" he shouted in shock. In response, the group of Generals began to kneel. "I'm sorry, Empress," he began again. "I…I didn't know you approached."  
  
Lilithite developed a smirk on her face. "Oh please, Ragor," she said, "you don't have to kneel now. You're on break. Please, just call me plain 'Lilithite' for now."  
  
Ragor raised his head. "As…as you wish…Lilithite. At ease, gentlemen!"  
  
The four generals began to rise in front of Lilithite. "So, uh," stumbled Porthos, "what brings you here?"  
  
"Oh, just wanted to see how training was going," Lilithite said.  
  
Ygon and Fareth, the orange and blue ogres respectively, stepped out of their tents. "That's our department, uh, Lilithite," said Ygon, unsure of how to address his commanding officer.  
  
"So, what do you have to report?" Lilithite asked.  
  
"Well," said Fareth, "Shadow performance is up fifty percent since this morning, and we've gained most of our abilities back after being sealed in those crystals."  
  
Lilithite smiled. "Excellent," said Lilithite, happy with the statistics. "I'll report the information to Jedite. In the mean time, please tell the Shadows that they're done their training for the day. And tell Honbor to go grab some dinner."  
  
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Serena was the first to exit the portal, with her friends and the cats following afterward. The group felt a bit dizzy, but that was to be expected. Once everyone exited the portal, it vanished into thin air. Serena turned towards the group. "So," she said, "everyone survive the trip?"  
  
"We're okay," said Lita, "but I feel a little diz…hey, what happened to our uniforms?"  
  
The group had noticed that once again they were dressed in their regular clothes. Even Darien had lost his tuxedo. "What's going on?" said Mina. "We passed the tests, we got new powers, why are we back to normal?"  
  
"I can answer that," said Luna, trotting to the front of the group. "You see, this portal neutralizes your powers when you enter it. It is easier for you to travel from place to place this way."  
  
"Yeah," said Artemis, joining her. "Without neutralizing your powers, there would be too much energy in the portal, and who knows where you would end up."  
  
"That makes sense," Darien commented. "Anyway, we have to find out where we are. This definitely doesn't look like where we were fighting the first time."  
  
Darien was right. The scenery around them was not the vacant lot. They were standing along side a highway. Amy flipped her computer out and began to do some calculations. "According to these readings," she said, "we're about one mile from the vacant lot we fought in, and…wait a second."  
  
Serena looked worried. "What is it, Amy?" she asked.  
  
"I'm detecting some Negaverse readings from that location as well!" Amy exclaimed. "We have to check it out."  
  
"Right," said Luna. "You girls need to transform and…"  
  
"Hold it," said Raye, cutting Luna off.  
  
"What's wrong, Raye?" Luna asked.  
  
"I have an idea," Raye responded, with a sly grin on her face. "Why don't we just show up in our normal clothes? That way, we can transform when we get there, and totally shock the pants of Lilithite!."  
  
Serena adopted the grin of Raye's. "That's a real cool idea!" she commented. "We can catch the entire Negaverse with their pants down!"  
  
"Ugh," Lita groaned. "Thanks for the lovely image!"  
  
This sparked a laugh out of everybody. Serena then realized the thought of her comment and quickly blushed. "Anyway," Luna said over the laughter, "I agree with Raye as well. We can really get the jump on Lilithite this way."  
  
"Well," said Mina, "I suggest we get going before Lilithite attacks again."  
  
"Right," said Amy. "I'll home in on them with my computer. Just follow me." And with that, the girls, Darien, and the cats departed.  
  
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Within an hour, the group had traveled the direction Amy's computer had led them. Sure enough, the computer brought them back to the vacant lot. They had arrived a few feet away, hiding behind a building for camouflage. However, much to everyone's surprise, nothing was within the lot. "Amy," asked Serena, "are you sure your computer didn't make a mistake or something? There's nothing there!"  
  
Amy looked over her readings again. "This computer hardly makes mistakes. I'll try the calculations again." Running through the computer commands one more time, she once again ran the program. The results came up the same. "The computer still says the Negaverse is in the vacant lot!"  
  
"No offense Amy," Lita interjected, "but Serena does have a point. I can't see anything, either."  
  
Raye just stood still, sensing something with her sixth sense. "Hold on," she said to the Scouts.  
  
"What is it?" asked Mina. "Do you sense something?"  
  
"Yeah," Raye responded. "I'm feeling something's in this lot…something evil. I'm going to go with Amy on this one."  
  
"Raye's sixth sense hasn't steered us wrong before," Luna commented, "I'm going to trust her on this one."  
  
"But, there's nothing in the lot!" Serena pointed out again. "I'll prove it to you!" She began to make her way towards the lot. Before she could step onto it herself, she collided with something she couldn't see, immediately dropping to the ground. "Owwwww!" she yelped, rubbing her shoulder. "What hit me?"  
  
Darien made his way over to help the fallen Serena. After helping her up he began to reach out to the spot she struck against. "Hey," he said aloud, "there seems to be an invisible wall or something here."  
  
Upon hearing Darien, Amy began to add new data into her computer. "Darien's right," she commented, reviewing the data she gathered. "There seems to be an invisibility shield cloaking them from the general public. I knew the computer didn't make a mistake!"  
  
"So that's why we couldn't see anything," Serena remarked, still holding her arm. "Sorry for doubting you, Amy."  
  
"It's okay," said Amy, accepting the apology. "But I'm afraid I got some bad news. With the current frequency of the shield, our powers wouldn't be affective against it. We have no way in."  
  
"This is bad," Artemis added. "It means the Negaverse could begin it's assault any time it wants!"  
  
Raye raised her head after deliberating something in her mind. "I think I can rectify this situation," she stated confidently.  
  
"How are you gonna do that?" asked Lita.  
  
"Watch," said Raye. With that said, she pulled out a scroll from the inside of her robes. Pulling towards her forehead, she blessed it with a silent prayer. When she finished the prayer, she threw the scroll upon the invisible wall, sticking to it with ease. "I call upon the power of Mars!" she shouted, addressing the power in the scroll. "Evil spirits…BE GONE!"  
  
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CHAPTER 22  
  
During the last hour, The Seven Generals and the Shadows enjoyed a hearty meal, and a few good war stories. Lilithite had joined them, listing intently. Normally, she wouldn't be conversing with the lower ranking soldiers on such an informal level. However, she always had tremendous respect for the Seven Generals of Apocalypse since she was a child. While reading her history books, she always wished she could have been there, fighting along side her heroes. However, she thought she would never get the chance. But now, she thought she was walking in a dream. Jedite was freed, and she was actually talking with the Seven Generals. She began to feel like a child once more.  
  
However, Lilithite had to remember her position. She was placed in charge of this elite group, as well as the soldiers the group commanded. She couldn't be a nervous wreck all of the time. She had a reputation to protect. Besides, the cold, pompous attitude which she had donned was easier to express than that of a simple fan.  
  
Lilithite's mind then snapped back into reality. Once again, she heard the voice of Fareth droning on and on of the time he "single-handedly" destroyed the defense forces of the planet Grach in the Vorchian Solar System. The other Generals had to modify the story occasionally to tell what really happened.  
  
"….and then I delivered a right hook to the Sixth Commander," Fareth continued from earlier, "and he crumpled to my feet right there!"  
  
"Please," Honbor interrupted for at least the fifth time, "it was I who took out the Sixth Commander! And it was Porthos who removed the Third and Fourth Commanders, not you!"  
  
Fareth sighed. "Well, you do have to credit me on taking out the First Commander…"  
  
"…with the broken laser pistol, at point blank aim! Right!" the other Generals conveniently finished for him.  
  
"That's at least the eighth time tonight he had mentioned this," commented Witech.  
  
"I counted nine!" interjected Ragor.  
  
All the Generals, except for Fareth, roared with laughter. It was a fact that Fareth was a bit of a bragger, however, had the respect of the entire group. Fareth was the oldest member of the Generals, and like to take seniority over everybody. But with age came the respect of the others.  
  
Fareth's story lasted at least another few minutes, until a small object caught the eye of Ygon. He had been gifted with very good eyes, providing expert marksmanship on the battleground. "Hmm...curious…"  
he muttered.  
  
Gerchon, somewhat happy of a distraction from Fareth, overheard Ygon's mutter. "Is anything wrong, brother?" he inquired.  
  
"There seems to be a small, white object upon our shield," Ygon said.  
  
"It must be just a piece of paper," Gerchon guessed. "The wind probably blew it on to the shield and it probably got stuck there.  
  
"You don't understand," Ygon snapped, although unintentionally. "I had read over the calibrations of the shield in Jedite's report, and nothing is supposed to stick to this shield. Objects are supposed to bounce off, creating a rubber affect."  
  
"Really?" asked Porthos, who had also overheard Ygon's statement. "We should report this to our Empress immediately."  
  
However, before the three could stand from their seats, they could hear a voice in the distance. "I call upon the power of Mars! Evil spirits…BE GONE!"  
  
Cracks began to form across the entire protective shield. The noise was ear-splitting. This even brought Fareth's story to a stand-still. Lilithite was half-terrified of what was happening around her. "What's happening!?!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.  
  
"The barrier!" shouted Ragor. "It's breaking apart!"  
  
After a few long moments of the shield splitting, large pieces of it began to break off. Once they did, the pieces turned into a fine powder before they reached the ground. Within the same amount of time it took for the shield to break, the shield had completely disappeared, leaving a thin cloud of smoke surrounding the now exposed lot.  
  
Witech pulled his hands away from over his head. "Is…is it over?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, you coward!" snapped Porthos. "Some help you were!"  
  
Lilithite became furious. She growled to herself softly. "How…how did this happen…" she muttered, teeth clenched hard. "The shield was supposed to be fool-proof!"  
  
Lilithite could then hear some voices within the background, coming from the edge of the lot. "Wow, great job, Raye!" she heard one voice say.  
  
"That was totally awesome!" said another.  
  
"Thanks," said a third. "Now we can kick some Negaverse butt!"  
  
Lilithite thought she had recognized those voices, however, she hoped it wasn't who she thought they were. "Who's there?" she shouted at the top of her lungs. "Show yourself!"  
  
Eight human figures stepped through the mist created when the shield fell. Lilithite recognized them in an instant. They were the five girls who formerly were the Sailor Scouts. Serena stood in the middle of the group. Along side her, was Darien. To her left was Amy, Mina, and Artemis. To her right stood Raye, Lita, and Luna. All of them were in their normal clothing. It was part of the plan to let the Negaverse think that they were weak.   
  
Lilithite's stone face began to loosen, and a grin appeared upon her face. "Of all this armies and warriors this planet could offer, the only defense is a pretty boy, school girls, and cats?"  
  
Ragor was confused. Even so, the Seven Generals had drawn their weapons, and motioned the Shadows into their attack stances. "Who are they, Empress?" Ragor asked aloud.  
  
"They are not a threat," Lilithite responded. "We can take them out easily. They are just humans."  
  
After hearing this, Serena stepped forward. "Excuse me?" she shouted. "Just humans?"  
  
"I guess you don't know what humans are capable of!" shouted Raye, stepping forward as well.  
  
The other Scouts, Darien and the cats took their positions as well. "Even without our powers, we stand to fight!" yelled Amy.  
  
"We stand for love and justice!" Mina added.  
  
"And we can still take you down!" added Lita.  
  
"So take your best shot!" Darien finished.  
  
Lilithite's smile widened. "Such big words for such little minds," she cackled sarcastically. "Are you six challenging the entire Negaverse army to a fight?"  
  
"Yeah!" Serena shouted once again. "You're toast, Negatrash!"  
  
"We can take you out anytime, anywhere!" added Lita, raising a fist into the air.  
  
"Anytime, anywhere, huh?" Lilithite said cockily. "This is going to be way too easy! The time will be now, but I choose the place!" And with that, Lilithite raised both arms into the air. The space surrounding the lot began to flux with everything in it. Before Serena or anybody knew what was going on, everything within the vacant lot had vanished without a trace.  
  
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Serena looked around her, noticing that her surroundings had changed yet again. She looked towards her friends, who also had no idea what was going on. Serena stood upon a small hill, with greenish-orange grass raising halfway to her knees. The sky above her was tinted with a light violet color, with a dark object setting in the distance. "Where…where are we?" she asked aloud.  
  
"I don't know," said Amy, furiously typing on her computer. "I can't get a reading on anything here."'  
  
"Have anybody seen Luna and Artemis?" Lita asked, pushing the tall grass aside. "I can't see them anywhere."  
  
"Maybe they didn't come here with us, where ever we are," Darien suggested.  
  
"Jeez, how many places do we have to be before the day's over?" Mina commented.  
  
Raye just stood there, nearly frozen. "Guys," she muttered. "I'm getting some bad vibes from…all around us! I…I think we're surrounded!"  
  
"Correct, you worms!" cried a voice from beyond.  
  
Directly across from them, Lilithite reappeared. Behind her were the Seven Generals of Apocalypse, and behind them were the Shadows. Lilithite began to laugh. "Welcome back to the Negaverse, girls!"  
  
The entire party gasped. "Oh no!" said Lita, acting like she was helpless. "What are we going to do now?"  
  
Lilithite lowered her head for a moment. "I honestly thought that you girls wouldn't be dumb enough to fight us. Now you've backed yourself into a corner!"  
  
Serena began to speak. "Well, you obviously don't know who you're dealing with, Negaverse scum!" she shouted.  
  
Lilithite laughed once again. "Oh, you humans. You are the most humorous species we've encountered throughout our journeys! It will be a pleasure to take you apart!"  
  
Serena turned towards her friends, a smirk once again appeared on her face. "Shall we show them what we're dealing with, now?" she asked the group.  
  
"Yes, lets!" responded Raye.  
  
In front of Lilithite's eyes, the Scouts pulled out their transformation wands, Darien pulled out his rose, and Serena pulled out her new broach. "Let's go!" Serena shouted.  
  
"MERCURY PLANET POWER!" cried Amy.  
  
"MARS PLANET POWER!" cried Raye.  
  
"JUPITER PLANET POWER!" cried Lita.  
  
"VENUS PLANET POWER!" cried Mina.  
  
"MOON LUNAR POWER!" cried Serena.  
  
Ribbons of water, fire, lightning, hearts, and crescent moons surrounded the entire group. Darien had already begun his silent transformation. Within minutes, the Sailor Guardians and Tuxedo Mask stood before the Negaverse army.  
  
Lilithite's jaw dropped to the group upon witnessing the transformation. "I….uh…I…." Lilithite began to stutter, "You…Sailor……can't be…..impossible! Simply Impossible!"  
  
"But it is, Lilithite!" said Sailor Moon.  
  
"You thought you defeated us, but your own pride blinded you! I am Guardian Mars!" cried Sailor Mars.  
  
"Your evil ways will never prevail on the Earth! I am Guardian Mercury!" cried Sailor Mercury.  
  
"You're about to become dust at the hands of us! I am Guardian Jupiter!" cried Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"We are all agents of love and justice! I am Guardian Venus!" cried Sailor Venus.  
  
"Of course we all know that I need no introduction! I am Sailor moon!" cried Sailor Moon.  
  
"We are the Sailor Guardians!" cried them all.  
  
"We are reborn…" said Sailor Mars.  
  
"…renewed…" continued Sailor Mercury.  
  
"…revamped…" continued Sailor Venus.  
  
"…and 're' are gonna kick your butt!" said Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"And on behalf of our Guardian Planets," said Sailor Moon, "We'll punish you!" "Man, it feels so good to say that again," she thought to herself.  
  
Lilithite grew furious. She tried to think of something brave to say. "Scouts, Guardians, whatever! We…uh…knew about this all along! It was just a…a plan to lure you…uh…into our trap!"  
  
"We did?" asked a shadow in the background.  
  
"Quiet!" shouted Lilithite, who could hardly keep her temper in check. "Generals of Apocalypse, attack! Spare no force in destroying this group! Obliterate them all!!!" With that said, Lilithite teleported away from the battleground. She didn't want any part or the Sailor Guardians unless she absolutely had to fight. This left the task of fighting to the Generals themselves. But the Generals didn't mind it. They knew that the Sailor Guardians didn't stand much of a chance.  
  
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NEXT TIME...  
  
The grand battle begins between the Senshi and the Generals! What's this? Brand new attacks? 


	12. Chapters 23 and 24

AUTHORS NOTES  
  
DISCLAIMERS: Rights to Sailor Moon are owned by Naoko Taceuchi, Kondansha Publishing, Toei, DiC, Optimum Productions, Cloverway...am I forgetting anything?  
  
This story is supposed to provide an alternate story line to the Sailor Moon series. It starts after the Sailor Moon R series ends (the Death Phantom is destroyed and Rini goes home to Crystal Tokyo). The next events are of my own creation and do not relate to the Sailor Moon S series (at least not intentionally).  
  
I finished this fanfic over a year ago, before the S and SuperS seasons were dubbed in America. Please excuse any attack names that are DiC-ish, because that is what I had to work with at the time. ;) This story, after looking back, seems a cross between Japanese and American references. So, please excuse the term "Negaverse" as opposed to "Dark Kingdom", because the story focuses on Jedite.  
  
Anyway, please enjoy the story!  
  
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CHAPTER 23  
  
Upon hearing Lilithite's order, the Seven Generals of Apocalypse snapped into action. Ragor made a few hand gestures, and the other six generals followed his lead. Along with the Shadows, the troops had lined up in one of their most lethal formations. Ragor then began to whisper orders to the entire group. "Generals," he began, "the Sailor Scouts, from what I heard, were very formidable enemies. Do NOT underestimate their abilities for a second! Each of you shall take three shadows under your wing, split up, and ambush the Sailor Scouts... Guardians…whatever. I'll provide the back up, if any. Are your orders clear?"  
  
"Crystal clear," whispered Fareth.  
  
"All right," Ragor whispered. He then shifted his voice to his normal tone. "Attack!" he shouted! "Show them no mercy!" After which, the Generals gave the Apocalyptic Salute, and began to move out.  
  
Upon hearing the commands of Ragor, the Sailor Guardians began to formulate a plan as well. Sailor Mercury began to observe the situation. "Hmmm, it seems we're severely outnumbered," she remarked.  
  
"Yeah, it looks like thirty to eight out there!" added Sailor Venus, referring to the Scouts, Tuxedo Mask, and the cats.   
  
"They could isolate us by at least four to one, maybe more," observed Tuxedo Mask.  
  
"It doesn't look to good for us," added Sailor Mars.  
  
Sailor Jupiter developed a smirk on her face. "I like them odds!" she shouted.  
  
"Yeah!" shouted Sailor Moon, extending her hand towards her friends. "Lets kick some Nega-butt!"  
  
With that said, the Guardians and Tuxedo Mask extended their hands out to Sailor Moon's, eventually meeting in the middle. A six way high-five was done, and the Sailor Guardians geared up for the hardest battle of their lives…  
  
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Both the Guardians and the Generals split up and began to run towards the middle of the battle field. Leading the charge of the Seven Generals were Ragor, Porthos, and Witech. Each of them had three Shadows under their command. The rest of the Generals were close behind, each with their Shadows as well. The Sailor Guardians weren't sure whether to split up or to stay together when attacking, but they were to find out soon enough.  
  
The first General to break out of the Apocalypse formation was Ygon, leading his Shadows on a sneak attack. He fired a laser from his palm, aiming straight for Sailor Mercury. Unaware of it, the laser caught Sailor Mercury in the arm, causing her to drop to one knee. Sailor Venus went to help, but Mercury waved her off. "You go ahead!" Mercury yelled to her friend. "I'll take care of these goons!" Venus reluctantly agreed, rejoining her friends.  
  
As Mercury staggered to her feet, Ygon and his troops drew closer. Stopping a few feet away from their target, Ygon began to laugh. "Heh, maybe you girls aren't such a threat after all!" he gloated.  
  
"You want a threat?" Mercury shouted at the top of her lungs. "You got it!" Upon reflex only, a huge ball of water and ice appeared in her hands. "Shine Aqua….ILLUSION!" she shouted, throwing it towards Ygon.  
  
Acting quickly, Ygon darted to the left, barely escaping Mercury's projectile. However, one of the Shadows behind Ygon didn't see it coming, and the ice ball hit dead on. Ice crystals covered the Shadow freezing him from head to toe.  
  
Seeing the display, the two other Shadows under Ygon's control began to charge at Mercury. Using her agility, Mercury managed to leap over the Shadows with ease. When she landed, she threw two more balls of ice at her targets. Before the Shadows knew what was happening, they had joined their comrades as ice statues.  
  
Ygon was amazed at the talent of Sailor Mercury. He never thought that such a young girl could be so strong. However, he had orders to carry out, and he would die before failing. "You may have eliminated my troops, Sailor Mercury," Ygon shouted, "but you still have to fight me!"   
  
After reciting those words, Ygon appeared directly behind Sailor Mercury. Reacting upon instinct, Mercury launched another Shine Aqua Illusion attack. However, Ygon just grinned evilly as the projectile bounced off of him. "That's all you got?" he shouted. "Now it's my turn!  
  
Ygon assaulted Sailor Mercury with a hard punch to the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Staggering back, Mercury took a moment to catch her breath. Surprisingly, Ygon didn't go after her when she was down. He was toying with her for now.  
  
After Mercury regained her composure, she retaliated with a few punches of her own, aimed at Ygon's head. She wasn't used to fighting fist-to-fist, so the blows didn't have much of an effect on him. After several failed attempts of trying to take Ygon down, Ygon struck Mercury square in the jaw. This sent her crashing to the ground.  
  
"Pathetic," Ygon muttered to himself. He slowly made his way toward the fallen Mercury, who was clutching her jaw. Stopping directly in front of her, he held out his hands. A battle axe suddenly appeared within them. "Good-bye, Sailor Mercury," Ygon sneered, raising the axe over his head. "It was a pleasure doing battle wi…."  
  
"Venus Love Chain…ENCIRCLE!"  
  
Within seconds, a chain of hearts surrounded Ygon, causing him to drop his axe. Sailor Mercury turned around to see a friend behind her. "Sailor Venus!" she shouted in disbelief.  
  
Venus ran over to Mercury to help her to her feet. "Hey, can't let you have all the fun," Venus said. "Are you okay? Did that guy break anything?"  
  
Mercury stood up, still rubbing her jaw. "He didn't break anything, thank goodness," Mercury remarked. "But now, it's time to test out these new powers!"  
  
Sailor Mercury turned to face the now immobilized Ygon. She shut her eyes and began to concentrate deeply. She curled her hands into fists, and held them to her chest. Looking deep inside herself, she began to sense a new power inside her. Her fists then began to glow a bright blue. Sailor Venus took a few steps back, not knowing what to expect. As Mercury's hands grew brighter, she began to lift of the ground. She was floating ten feet in the air before she stopped rising. As the power surged through her body, a new command formed in her mind. She opened her eyes and held her arms high above her head. "You're finished, Negacreep!" she shouted. "GUARDIAN MERCURY TITAL TEMPEST!"  
  
Water and ice began to converge in a huge mass above hear arms. First, an huge icicle was formed. A ball of freezing water enclosed around it soon after. After enough water was collected, Mercury had thrust her right hand forward, sending the water to it's target.  
  
The force of the freezing liquid hit Ygon hard. The attack encased him within a huge wall of ice, freezing him completely.  
  
But Sailor Mercury wasn't done yet. She hadn't sent the ice crystal to Ygon yet. Thrusting her left hand forward, she sent the crystal straight toward the ice wall. The crystal impacted the wall, causing it to shatter, along with Ygon's body.  
  
Sailor Venus applauded as Sailor Mercury finally came down to earth. "Woah, Mercury!" she complemented, "I didn't know you had it in ya!"  
  
Mercury was still a bit dazed after such a display of power. "Thanks, I can't hardly believe it myself!"  
  
Just then, screams could be heard in the distance. "Oh no!" Venus shouted. "That's Sailor Mars and Sailor Moon!"  
  
"Let's go!" said Mercury.  
  
Seeing Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars in the distance, Mercury and Venus charged toward them. However, a second beam of light was fired, hitting Sailor Venus in the back. The force of the impact knocked her down the greenish-orange grass.  
  
Mercury stopped her charge and quickly helped Sailor Venus to her feet. After she did, both Guardians noticed another General and his Shadows on their backs. It was Witech to be exact. "I'll take them on," Venus said. "You go help the others, Mercury."  
  
Mercury was concerned. "Are you sure?" she asked Venus.  
  
"I'm sure," Venus said. "I can do this. The others need you more." With that, Mercury nodded and left to help Mars and Moon. Sailor Venus stood her ground, waiting for the eventual intercept. "All right, you goons!" she shouted. "Come and get me!"  
  
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Sailor Jupiter had been caught in the middle of a crossfire. She was fighting the Shadows of Honbor's control, and trying her best to stay alive. All of Honbor's men, including five from the back-up, had surrounded her, firing laser pistols that Honbor had supplied them. The cocky General just watched from a few yards away, not involving himself in the least. "This is too easy!" Honbor shouted to his prey. "Dance, Sailor Soldier, dance!"  
  
Jupiter had been dodging lasers for nearly ten minutes now. She couldn't make any headway fighting them. Every time she geared up for an attack, the lasers would break her concentration. She couldn't last much longer.  
  
Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a familiar figure in the distance. It was Sailor Mercury. Jupiter didn't know where Mercury was going, or what she was going to do, but Jupiter knew that she was running out of options, and that she needed help bad. "Sailor Mercury!" Jupiter shouted at the top of her lungs.  
  
Upon hearing her name, Sailor Mercury glanced to her right. She saw Sailor Jupiter surrounded by at least eight Shadows, maybe more. Putting Sailor Moon and Mars on hold, she ran toward Sailor Jupiter's aid. While running towards Jupiter, Mercury launched a Shine Aqua Illusion attack ahead of her. The ball of ice caught three Shadows dead on, freezing them completely.  
  
Thanking Mercury for her help, Jupiter vaulted behind the newly formed statues. Finally out of the crossfire, she could finally concentrate on an attack. An antennae sprung forth from her tiara. Lightning began to hit it, powering it up. "Jupiter Thunder…CRASH!" she shouted.  
  
From behind the frozen Shadows, Jupiter launched her lightning from her tiara. A steady stream caught each of the remaining Shadows, electrocuting and dissolving them upon impact.  
  
Honbor was infuriated at this site. Within an instant, he pulled two daggers from his belt, and began his advance on Sailor Jupiter.  
  
It was about this time that Sailor Mercury finally arrived at Jupiter's location. "Are you…okay, Jupiter?" Mercury asked, somewhat out of breath.  
  
"Yeah, never felt better," Jupiter responded. "Thanks for the help."  
  
"No problem," said Sailor Mercury.  
  
"You two are about to become trophies on my mantle!" came a voice from behind them.  
  
Both Guardians turned around to see Honbor advancing toward them. Jupiter shifted into one of her fighting stances. "Stand back Mercury," she shouted. "This one's mine!"  
  
Mercury was concerned. "Are you sure you can take this guy on yourself?" she asked.  
  
Jupiter smiled. "Trust me," she said. "Now stand back."  
  
Mercury did as she was asked, taking a few steps back. Jupiter then awaited the arrival of Honbor. When Honbor was about ten feet away, he stopped suddenly. "You think that you can destroy a General of Apocalypse?" he yelled. "Think again!" He then proceeded to launch his daggers at his adversary.  
  
Seeing the daggers speed towards her, Jupiter prepared an attack with great speed. From her antennae, she condensed some lightning into a huge ball. "Jupiter Thunderclap…ZAP!" she shouted.  
  
With those words, she launched the lightning ball with great precision. The ball and daggers collided midway between eachother. Upon impact, the daggers seemed to dissolve due to the massive currents of electricity. The Thunderclap still proceeded to it's intended target. Due to it's speed, Honbor didn't have much time to dodge. The lightning caught Honbor square in the chest, causing him to drop to one knee.  
  
After Honbor was injured, Jupiter began to feel something new surge inside her. She clenched her teeth and fists to bear the overwhelming force she was feeling. Her fists began to glow a bright green, and she began to raise off the ground. At about ten feet in the air, she used her hands to form a lightning barrier around herself. After that was erected, a new command came to mind. "GUARDIAN JUPITER THUNDER DRIVER!" she exclaimed!  
  
Sailor Jupiter shifted her body so that her head was pointing to Honbor. She sent her arms in front, and launched herself towards her target at lightning speed. The thunder barrier around her would protect her of any damage. Honbor could only watch as the Sailor Guardian zoomed towards him. The two collided, causing a huge explosion. Sailor Mercury had to shield her eyes. When the smoke cleared, Mercury was staring at a small crater with Sailor Jupiter standing in the middle of it. Mercury ran towards Jupiter to see if she was okay.  
  
Jupiter smiled once again. "Cool trick, huh?" she said.  
  
Mercury was amazed. "I'll say," she said. "But where's that General?"  
  
Jupiter pointed to a fried carcass within the middle of the crater. "Does that answer your question?" she smirked.  
  
"Well done, Jupiter!" Mercury exclaimed. "Anyway, before I came over here, Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars needed my help. We have to go!"  
  
Jupiter clenched her fists again. "You don't have to tell me twice," she said. "Let's go!" And with that, Mercury and Jupiter headed towards their friends.  
  
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CHAPTER 24  
  
Sailor Venus collided with Witech's men with full force. Venus had begun assaulting the Shadows with a new agility and intensity that came with her new powers. With flurry after flurry of kicks and punches, she had downed the three Shadows with ease.  
  
However, the only problem was the Shadows kept getting up after they fell. As soon as Sailor Venus advanced to the next Shadow, the one she beat rejuvenated instantly. It was as if Venus hadn't even harmed them at all.  
  
Venus had gone through each Shadow at least five different times, and she was tiring out quick. "This is impossible!" she thought to herself. "They just keep coming!" An idea soon struck her, and she nearly smacked herself for not thinking of it sooner. "Venus Love Chain…ENCIRCLE!" she shouted.  
  
A chain of hearts formed around her body and streaked toward one of the Shadows. The chain wrapped around it's neck, choking it. Venus grabbed the chain with her left hand and pulled hard to hold him in place. She then sent a second Venus Love Chain to a second Shadow. The same results occurred, this time grabbing the chain with her right hand. With both Shadows under her control, she began to swing the two helpless beings towards the third Shadow of the group. Controlling the chains with the utmost precision and timing, she slammed the two Shadows directly onto the third one. All three disappeared after the attack was finished.  
  
Venus had to gasp for breath after the attack, for it took a lot out of her. "Nice maneuvers," came a voice from behind her. "But even those can't save you now!"  
  
Venus turned around to stare at Witech, who was only a few feet away from her. She ran toward the General, fists in front of her. However, as soon as she got to his position, Witech reached back with his fist and punched her square in the stomach. She had staggered back for a moment. Witech laughed. "You obviously have no idea who you're dealing with!" he began to gloat again.  
  
"It's you who doesn't know who their dealing with!" Sailor Venus shouted. "Venus Crescent Beam… SMASH!"  
  
Venus fired a beam of light energy from her fingertips. However, Witech dodged to the right, missing the beam with ease.   
  
Undaunted, Sailor Venus tried again. "Venus Love Chain…ENCIRCLE!" she shouted.  
  
The chain managed to circle around Witech's arm, but Witech only smiled. He pulled the chain off his arm and merely tossed it to the side. It dissipated soon afterwards. "That was pathetic!" he yelled. "I'll show you what a real energy beam is like!"  
  
Thrusting his palm forward he shot another palm laser toward Sailor Venus. However, Venus managed to perform a huge leap to avoid the blast. She had leaped nearly ten feet in the air. Venus was shocked that she jumped that high. And what really shocked her was that she actually stayed in the air! Venus had managed to float at her highest point in her jump. Witech was shocked as well, for he just stood in place.  
  
As Sailor Venus hovered above the ground, she felt a surge of energy through her body. Her fists began to glow a bright orange as she began to control the untapped energy. Venus had never felt such a power in her life. As she concentrated, a new command formed in her mind. "GUARDIAN VENUS ROMANCE RAY!" she boomed.  
  
A chain of hearts once again was formed, much like the Love Chain. However, the chain began to form an outline of a heart as large as Venus' body. Once the outline was finished, Venus put her hands in the middle of it. A white light began to form within the outline, filling the entire heart with energy. Soon after that, Venus thrust her arms into the light, forcing a huge beam of heart-shaped energy down to her intended opponent.  
  
As hard as Witech tried to run away from it, it was no use. The huge beam of light engulfed him as soon as it touched the ground. Within a moment he was vaporized.  
  
Sailor Venus was overwhelmed as she floated back towards the ground. Never did she feel so much power go through her at one time. But her celebration of her victory was short lived. In the corner of her eye, she saw Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mercury rush towards the aid of Sailor Moon and Mars, who still needed help. Without thinking twice, she ran to join them.  
  
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Tuxedo Mask was fighting for his life.  
  
He remembered during the group's initial strike, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus, and Sailor Jupiter were somehow separated from the rest. This left Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, and Tuxedo Mask to lead the charge.   
  
From behind Tuxedo Mask, a General attacked him by pulling down on his cape, forcing him to the ground. That General was Gerchon. Sailor Moon tried to come to his aid, but another one of the Generals, Fareth, grabbed her from behind. As Sailor Mars tried to break Sailor Moon free from Fareth's grip, Porthos managed to wrestle her to the ground. He also noticed that the red General had teleported away from the battle. "He must be a last resort," Tuxedo Mask thought. This left Tuxedo Mask alone to fight Gerchon and his men.  
  
Tuxedo Mask had taken out the first two Shadows with ease. Removing his sword from his belt, he sliced through them with one stroke. The Shadows disappeared instantly.  
  
The third Shadow, however, had learned extensive sword training before he was sentenced to his sleep-crystal. A sword with a black handle and a jagged edge appeared in his hand. Gripping the hilt with both hands, he began to advance toward the masked man.  
  
After the first two Shadows were destroyed, Tuxedo Mask saw the third Shadow in the corner of his eye. The Shadow was lunging at him, blade first. Reacting quickly, he deflected the Shadow's strike with a quick stroke of his own sword. This knocked the Shadow off guard.  
  
Quickly regaining it's balance, the Shadow retaliated. The two began to fight sword against sword, blade against blade. The Shadow and Tuxedo Mask seemed to be evenly matched skill-wise. Tuxedo Mask was impressed by the skills of his opponent.   
  
The swords of the two men kept clashing as their battle went on. At one point, the Shadow gained the upper-hand. He was able to make Tuxedo Mask stumble and soon managed to knock him off his feet with low swipe of his jagged blade. The Shadow thought he had one the fight at that moment. However, Tuxedo Mask had produced a rose and threw it directly into the Shadow's torso. This momentary distraction allowed Tuxedo Mask to return to his feet and regain some momentum in the battle.  
  
The Shadow parried constantly, but Tuxedo Mask managed to counter many of the moves it performed. Frustrated by failed strikes, the Shadow raised the sword high above his head, preparing for a final strike.   
  
Seeing an opening in the Shadow's defense, Tuxedo Mask kicked the sword out of it's hands. The Shadow reeled back from the pain. With the Shadow defenseless, Tuxedo Mask thrust his sword into it's stomach. The Shadow evaporated upon impact.  
  
After the last Shadow was slain, Tuxedo Mask could hear a clapping sound from behind him. It was Gerchon, seeming applauding the masked man for his efforts. "Give a round of applause for the formal swordsman!" Gerchon shouted sarcastically. "Now let's see what you're really made of!"  
  
Gerchon then closed his eyes and began to concentrate deeply. Gerchon was a master of focusing his energy with his mind, and redirecting it towards his enemies. He raised the palms of his hands to his forehead, his hands glowing as energy gathered around them. Within a few moments, he began to fire bolts of energy towards the tuxedo-clad hero.  
  
Tuxedo Mask tried to block the energy blasts with his sword, but that proved ineffective. One bolt of energy caught him on his left arm, causing him to drop to one knee. Gerchon paused for a moment to check what damage had been done. Pleased with his work, he began to charge for another attack.  
  
Tuxedo Mask lifted himself to his feet once more, producing another rose to throw. However, instead of just one, he threw a barrage of at least ten to fifteen roses toward his adversary. Half of the roses struck the green skin of Gerchon, breaking his concentration.  
  
Gerchon looked around his body, noticing the various roses protruding from his arms, legs, and torso. He became furious. "You lousy swine!" he shouted. "I look like a friggin' rose garden!" Gerchon went back to gathering energy for his attacks, this time for an even larger blast then before.  
  
Tuxedo Mask was prepared. Pressing the button upon the hilt of his sword, he soon held the Rose Staff within his hands. He held the staff out in front of him, with the rose top facing Gerchon. It was this time that Gerchon released the energy in form of laser blasts. Using the staff, Tuxedo Mask was able to draw in the lasers into the top of his staff. Every time, the staff would draw in energy, it would glow brighter then before.  
  
When Gerchon opened his eyes again to check if he did any damage, all he saw was the rose top of the staff facing him. Gerchon was shocked. "What have you done?" he shouted.  
  
Tuxedo Mask only uttered two words. "Energy Reversal!" he said.  
  
The energy that had collected within the orb of Rose Staff was released upon the unsuspecting Gerchon. His attack turned against him, Gerchon was burned into dust.  
  
Tuxedo Mask smiled as he turned his staff back into a sword. "I can get used to this," he muttered as he strapped the sword to his belt, and made his way to Sailor Moon's aid.  
  
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Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars were trying their best to escape from their current situation.   
  
When Tuxedo Mask was thrown to the ground by the green General, both Guardians tried help him. However, two other Generals had double-teamed them, forcing the two girls to shift their attention from their fallen friend.   
  
Then the mindless Shadows began to attack. Like Sailor Jupiter, they had surrounded the twosome. However, they were surrounded by the men of Fareth, Porthos, and whoever was left of the back-up troop. The Scouts had nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide.  
  
When the Shadows had the two Guardians completely surrounded, they all joined hands. Using the energy from within their bodies, they created a huge dark dome to trap them in, similar to a dome that Malachite had once surrounded the Sailor Scouts with. Fareth and Porthos were just laughing from outside the dome. "You two are the most pathetic bunch of saps I have ever lain eyes on!" cackled Porthos.  
  
"I can't believe we were able to trap you so easily!" added Fareth.  
  
Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars had shifted into fighting stances. "Yeah, well that shows you how much you know, pig-face!" Mars yelled out. "Mars Celestial Fire…SURROUND!"  
  
Eight rings of fire surrounded Sailor Mars' body, and launched toward the dome entrapping her and Sailor Moon. However, the rings simply bounced off the wall and back at the two Guardians. Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars were moving in every way they could in trying to dodge the fire. What made it increasingly difficult was that the fire rings kept bouncing off each wall they came in contact with. It took a few minutes of impressive maneuvers until the fire rings finally dissipated.   
  
Sailor Moon nearly collapsed after Mars' attack ended. "Nice going, Pyro!" she shouted in anger and disgust.  
  
"Well, excuse me!" Mars retaliated. "I didn't know that was going to happen!"  
  
The two Generals just sat back and laughed at this spectacle. "This is just to easy, Porthos!" Fareth gloated. "And to think we actually thought of these creatures as a challenge!" The two continued to laugh hysterically, not noticing three familiar figures heading toward their location.  
  
"Shine Aqua…ILLUSION!"  
  
"Jupiter Thunderclap…ZAP!"  
  
A huge ball of ice and a lightning disk slammed into a few of the Shadows holding the dome together. A couple were frozen solid while three others evaporated. Without the support from the Shadows, the dome faded away.  
  
Sailor Moon looked behind her to see her three rescuers. "Sailor Mercury! Sailor Jupiter!" she shouted.  
  
Sailor Mars had turned as well when Sailor Moon shouted their names. "Sailor Venus!" she shouted.  
  
"Thought you could use some help!" said Sailor Jupiter, who with the rest of the Guardians, had finally caught up with Sailor Moon and Mars.  
  
"Did we ever!" remarked Sailor Moon. "Thanks, you guys!"  
  
"No problem," said Sailor Venus.  
  
Fareth and Porthos were spellbound by the recent events. "Aw, for cryin' out loud!" Porthos shouted. "I can't believe you broke out of this!"  
  
"Ragor's gonna have my head on a silver platter," Fareth muttered under his breath.  
  
When the Shadows finally realized what was happening, they whipped out any weapons they could find and charged directly towards Sailor Moon and Mars.  
  
Sailor Mars held her right fist high. "I don't know about you guys," she shouted, "but I'm getting a little bit tired of all these goofs running around! Mars Celestial Fire…SURROUND!"  
  
Once again, eight rings of fire surrounded Mars' body, aimed to strike the Shadows. This time, when the rings were launched, they had struck their targets dead on. Within moments, the troop of Shadows which had plagued them were nothing more then a memory.  
  
"Way to go, Sailor Mars!" said Sailor Mercury.  
  
"But it's not over, yet!" came two voices from in front of them.  
  
All the Guardians turned to face two irate Generals. Porthos had a staff equipped, while Fareth had pulled out a rather large boomerang. The smug looks were gone from their faces, and were replaced with snarls and stiff upper lips. "Your fun ends here, Sailor Goofs!" Fareth snarled.  
  
"You may have destroyed our troops, and even our own comrades," Porthos growled, "but we are not so easily defeated. Prepare to meet your maker!"  
  
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NEXT TIME...  
  
The battle continues on, with only three Generals of the Apacolypse left. And Porthos manages to gain the upper hand? 


	13. Chapters 25 and 26

AUTHORS NOTES  
  
DISCLAIMERS: Rights to Sailor Moon are owned by Naoko Taceuchi, Kondansha Publishing, Toei, DiC, Optimum Productions, Cloverway...am I forgetting anything?  
  
This story is supposed to provide an alternate story line to the Sailor Moon series. It starts after the Sailor Moon R series ends (the Death Phantom is destroyed and Rini goes home to Crystal Tokyo). The next events are of my own creation and do not relate to the Sailor Moon S series (at least not intentionally).  
  
I finished this fanfic over a year ago, before the S and SuperS seasons were dubbed in America. Please excuse any attack names that are DiC-ish, because that is what I had to work with at the time. ;) This story, after looking back, seems a cross between Japanese and American references. So, please excuse the term "Negaverse" as opposed to "Dark Kingdom", because the story focuses on Jedite.  
  
Anyway, please enjoy the story!  
  
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CHAPTER 25  
  
"Sailor Mars," said Sailor Moon, "I'll take the one with the boomerang. You take the one with the staff."  
  
Sailor Mars looked concerned. "By yourself?" she asked.  
  
"Well, yeah, that's what I thought," Sailor Moon responded.   
  
"Hey, you don't think that we'll just stand by, do ya?" Sailor Jupiter interjected.  
  
"At least let us help you," Sailor Mercury added.  
  
"Okay, okay! I get the point!" said Sailor Moon. "Venus, you go help Mars. Jupiter and Mercury, you're with me."  
  
"Gotcha," said Sailor Venus. "You can count on us!"  
  
"All right, Sailor Guardians!" Sailor Moon began. "Let's show them what our Guardian Planets are made of!" The Guardians then split up once again to attack.  
  
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Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus launched themselves into the air, preparing to perform a duel dropkick. Reacting quickly, Fareth threw his boomerang towards the Guardians. With dead-eye accuracy, the boomerang collided with the two girls, sending them crashing to the ground. Both Guardians were lain out on the ground, seemingly not moving.  
  
Fareth grinned as the boomerang returned to his hand. "This is way too easy!" Fareth shouted. "I thought you'd put up a challenge!"  
  
Sailor Mars was the first to regain consciousness. The boomerang that Fareth had thrown at her had really got her good. Her head was spinning as she tried to stand, only she managed to raise herself to one knee. Looking to her left, she noticed that Sailor Venus was still lain out on the ground, face down. Mars was scared. She didn't know if Venus was still alive or…..she couldn't think of that possibility.   
  
Mars immediately grabbed Venus' shoulders, trying to stir her awake. "Sailor Venus!" she shouted toward her friend, trying to wake her. "Venus! Wake up! Venus!"  
  
Venus managed to roll he head to her right, facing Sailor Mars. "Mars…" she muttered.  
  
"Venus!" Mars said, a sigh of happiness escaping her lips.. "Are you okay?"  
  
Sailor Venus managed to creak a half-smile. "Can you…get the number…of that truck…that hit me?" she said jokingly.  
  
Sailor Mars smiled. "She's going to be all right," she thought to herself. "If she was injured on account of me, I'd never forgive myself!"  
  
Fareth nearly gagged at the display of affection he was seeing. "Enough of these games!" he shouted. "I'm tired of waiting. It's time you go down for good!"  
  
Fareth prepared to fire his boomerang once again. Sailor Mars wasn't going to let the boomerang strike her again. With almost blinding speed, a scroll appeared in her hand. She then began to bless it. "I call upon the power of Mars! Evil Spirits…BE GONE!" she chanted aloud.  
  
With those words said, the blessed scroll was sent to it's target: Fareth. As Fareth was about to release the boomerang, the charm managed to come to rest upon his forehead. This left Fareth completely paralyzed.  
  
"That'll buy us some time," Sailor Mars remarked. She then resumed helping Sailor Venus. After a few minutes, Mars had managed to return Venus to her feet. Venus was still being supported by Mars, via letting her rest on Mars' shoulder. "Can you stand on your own?" Mars asked.  
  
"I think I can," Venus responded, still shaken up from Fareth's attack. Mars removed her support from Venus' body, seeing if Venus could stand. Still shaking a bit, Venus had managed to keep her balance.  
  
"Thanks," Sailor Venus said. "It pays to have friends like you."  
  
"Anytime," Sailor Mars replied. Her fists started to glow a deep red soon after. "But now, it's time for that blue piece of garbage to pay!"  
  
Venus knew what was coming next, so once again, she took a few steps back. Mars began to levitate as the other Guardians before her. She ceased to rise when she reached about ten feet off the ground. Mars then closed her eyes, and began to look deep within herself. She felt her energy growing throughout her body, an energy that she never felt before. Unconsciously, she produced another scroll within her hand. Within moments, a new command formed in her mind. She opened her eyes, and shouted "GUARDIAN MARS NOVA STRIKE!"  
  
She released the scroll from her hand to let it rise above her head. Raising her hands to meet the scroll, fire started to collect around it. Much like the battle in the test she took, the fire around the scroll grew to enormous proportions. The fireball was as large as Raye's body. Within seconds, she would be ready to fire it.  
  
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As Raye charged up her attack, Fareth was trying his best to fight off the paralysis that had overcame him. Using all of his strength, he slowly began to move his arm toward his head, where that charm was located. There was an incredible amount of fight within him, for no one had ever escaped from the blessed scrolls of Sailor Mars before. Using all the power within him, he managed to grab the charm, and tear it off his forehead.  
  
After he removed the scroll, normal movement was restored to him once again. He crumpled the scroll into a small wad of paper and cast it aside. A new found rage within him, he grabbed hold of his boomerang once again, and threw it towards the floating Guardian.  
  
"Venus Love Chain…ENCIRCLE!"  
  
Fareth was shocked at what he saw next. After he had threw the boomerang, the second Sailor Guardian had managed to knock it out of the air. An orange flash of light managed to blind his eyes. After which, he saw his boomerang lie on the ground with an orange chain wrapped around it. Fareth growled. "Rotten Sailor Simpletons!" he shouted in his rage. Ignoring the Guardian, he ran to retrieve his prized boomerang. This proved to be costly, for it was then that Sailor Mars released her fireball.  
  
The huge ball of flame streaked toward the helpless General. Fareth only saw it streaking towards him when it was too late. The fireball collided with the ground, exploding it in a huge pyrotechnic display. Sailor Venus could only stare at the blaze that her friend had created. After it had died down, the only thing left of the Apocalypse General was a charred corpse.  
  
Sailor Venus literally applauded as Sailor Mars returned to the ground. "Woah, Mars!" she shouted, still in awe of the attack. "That's the most amazing display I've seen today!"  
  
Sailor Mars smiled. "Thanks," she replied. "I honestly didn't know I had it in me!"  
  
"Now we can help Sailor Moon and the others," Venus suggested.  
  
"You are not leaving his place alive!" came a voice from behind them.  
  
The two Guardians turned around to see yet another General behind them. He had let his comrades fight the losing battle, thinking they had it well in hand. He was wrong. His color was crimson red. His eyes had a look that many across the galaxy had feared. He was Ragor, leader of the Seven Generals of Apocalypse.  
  
"How dare you kill my comrades!" he screamed at the Guardians. "How dare you destroy my friends…my family…." Ragor drew a sword from a sheath on his belt, ready to strike at a moment's notice. Sailor Mars and Venus responded by going into their fighting stances. "You shall pay the ultimate price…" Ragor sneered, revenge within his grasp at last.  
  
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Sailor Moon stared eye to eye with her enemy. Sailor Mercury was on her left, Jupiter on her right. Porthos only stood in his place, ready to anticipate any attack thrown at him. Nobody made a move on either side. The stand off seemed to last forever.  
  
"How do we take him out?" Sailor Moon whispered to her friends.   
  
"We need to form a good strategy against him," Sailor Jupiter added.  
  
Sailor Mercury was suddenly washed over with a wave on inspiration. "I think I have an idea," she whispered.  
  
"So what do we do?" Jupiter asked.  
  
"That General may be powerful," Mercury began, "but he's not too bright. We have to distract him, then we attack him. Then we distract him again, and repeat the process. We keep doing this until he goes down."  
  
Sailor Moon smiled. "Yet another wicked strategy from a totally wicked mind!" she said, complimenting Amy. She then turned her gaze towards her adversary. "Let's book it!" she shouted.  
  
The three Guardians then began their assault. All three charged at Porthos, who had shifted into an attack position. The girls soon split away to surround the General. While Mercury went to the left, and Jupiter to the right, Sailor Moon continued straight towards Porthos.  
  
Porthos stood by, and awaited the Guardians attack. But he didn't pay attention to the other two girls. Sailor Mercury attacked him first with a foot to the face. As Porthos turned to face her, Sailor Jupiter struck with a roundhouse kick. Furious, Porthos turned to face the green-costumed heroine. It was Sailor Moon's turn to strike, punching the General in the back of the head.  
  
This barrage off attacks continued for a while. One of the Guardians would attack, Porthos would shift his attention, and the next Guardian would strike. This barrage soon came to an end when Sailor Moon smashed his jaw with an uppercut. This sent him staggering a few feet back before crumpling into a heap on the grass.  
  
The three Sailors took a moment to catch their breath. The full frontal assault had taken a lot out of them. "That seemed almost too easy," remarked Sailor Mercury.  
  
Sailor Jupiter wiped the sweat from her forehead. "I know," she remarked. "But we did deliver a lot of punishment."  
  
"We totally cremated him!" said Sailor Moon, fixing her hair, for her right "meatball" had come undone. "These new powers are sure something."  
  
"Maybe you can put yours to use now, Sailor Moon," Amy commented.  
  
"Yeah," Jupiter added. "You know what the rest of us can do, so how about you?"  
  
"Oh, right," Sailor Moon said, letting her hair fall to her side. Not caring about the style of her hair anymore, she undid the second bun as well. She used the clips and circles from before to lock her hair behind her in a ponytail. "I gotta take care of the guy. I nearly forgot." The other members of her party just sighed as Sailor Moon tried to laugh it off.   
  
Raising her hands in the air, she cried "Moon Lunar Staff!" Within seconds, Sailor Moon's new weapon materialized within her hands. She took a moment to study the weapon. The actual staff was colored pink, with several white and yellow dots placed upon it in a slight pattern. The bottom of the staff ended in a point with a diamond tip. A ball was placed upon the top, which looked to be a perfect scale model of the moon itself. It rested upon a yellow base, which represented a crescent moon. Sailor Moon just marveled in the beauty of the object, crafted perfectly from 30th Century, Crystal Tokyo.  
  
Handling it with ease, she pointed the head of the staff towards the fallen General. "Your time is up, Negatrash!" she cried.  
  
"Au contraire…" muttered Porthos, barely audible from his position, "it is your time."  
  
At that moment, two energy beams shot from the crumpled heap. The beams whipped by Sailor Moon entirely, aiming for her friends. Each beam managed to encircle the necks of both Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter, choking them.  
  
Without any time to react, the Guardians were at the mercy of Porthos' energy. Sailor Moon ran towards her friends, trying her best to help. The beams then lifted the two Sailors, by their necks, high above Sailor Moon's head. Laughter filled the air as Porthos managed to get to his feet. Sailor Moon saw that the beams of energy were emanating from the enemy's staff. She then aimed her own staff at Porthos once again, ready to fire.  
  
"Uh, uh, Sailor Moon," Porthos said cockily, "I wouldn't do that." Porthos brought the energy beams, Guardians included, over his head. "You see, if this staff breaks, your friends will tumble from the skies and land in some 'uncompromising' positions, if you catch my drift."  
  
Sailor Moon looked at the limp bodies of her friends, just hanging by their necks. She knew that he was right. He held all the cards now. Reluctantly, Sailor Moon lowered the staff.  
  
Porthos laughed once again, swinging the staff violently to his left. This caused the energy beams to let go, sending Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter sailing into the air. They landed a few yards away, in crumpled heaps on the ground.   
  
As Sailor Moon saw her friends fall, a rage built up inside her. She had seen her friends helpless before, and she couldn't stand letting the enemy have it's way with them. With new-found determination in her eyes, she began to run toward Porthos, staff raised high above her. She then found a new command forming in her mind, a command for the staff. "GUARDIAN MOON…."   
  
"Oh, no you don't!" cried Porthos. Using his staff once again, he sent two energy snakes towards Sailor Moon. The first snake wrapped around her staff, yanking it free of her hands and sending it clattering to the ground. The second snake started to wrap around her neck. However, Sailor Moon managed to place her fingers inside the beam, keeping it from fully strangling her.  
  
"How does it feel?" Porthos cackled at the helpless Guardian. "How does it feel to totally helpless? To be so close to defeat, and having it linger and linger until you can't stand it any…ahh!"  
  
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Porthos had stopped abruptly in mid-sentence, but Sailor Moon couldn't figure out why. Thanks to the energy snake, her vision was blurred somewhat. However, she could hear the monster just fine. "A rose?" he said. "A rose? That is the weakest weapon I've ever come across! Just like your comrades, you shall…AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"  
  
It was at this time that he energy snake dissipated, freeing Sailor Moon's neck. Taking a few breaths of fresh air, and resting her eyes for a minute or two, she made her way to where Porthos was now laying. His staff was split into two, and his head appeared to be resting on something. Upon closer inspection, she say that a long sword was protruding from Porthos' skull, from ear to ear.  
  
"Are you all right?" asked a familiar voice.  
  
Sailor Moon looked up, seeing the eyes of the masked man she adored. "Tuxedo Mask!" she shouted, giving him a huge hug. "I knew you'd come!"  
  
"What happened to the meatballs?" he asked, referring to the ponytail.  
  
"Oh, uh, they came undone, I guess," she explained. "But anyway, yes, I'm fine."  
  
"What about the other Sailor Guardians?" Tuxedo Mask asked. "Do you know if they are injured?"  
  
Sailor Moon gasped. She had almost forgotten about them when Porthos had attacked her. "Oh, no!" she cried. "We have to check on them!"  
  
Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask rushed to the location where Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter and fallen. Tuxedo Mask ran to Mercury, while Sailor Moon checked on Jupiter. Putting her ear to Jupiter's chest, she listened for signs of breathing. When she heard the breathing of Jupiter, even though it was slow, Sailor Moon breathed a sigh of relief. Sitting Jupiter up, she called Tuxedo Mask. "Sailor Jupiter's breathing!" she shouted. "I think she's gonna be fine!"  
  
"Sailor Mercury's breathing, too!" Tuxedo Mask responded. "All we have to do is wake them up!"  
  
It was at this point that Sailor Jupiter's eyes fluttered open. "Ugh," she muttered. "What…happened?"  
  
"Sailor Jupiter!" Sailor Moon cried. "How do you feel?"  
  
"I think…I can stand," Jupiter remarked, "As soon as…I get up, I'll feel…much better."  
  
Sailor Moon nodded, helping Jupiter to her feet. Sailor Mercury had managed to stand as well, however, leaning on Tuxedo Mask's shoulder for support. "Sailor Moon," Mercury said.  
  
Sailor Moon smiled. "Mercury! I'm so glad your not hurt too badly," she exclaimed.  
  
"Just some bruises here and there," Mercury said. "Other than that, I'm fine."  
  
It was then that the sounds of battle could be heard once more. The heroes turned to see Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus in the distance fighting yet another General of Apocalypse. "Is that the last General?" Sailor Moon asked.  
  
"I think so," Sailor Jupiter replied.  
  
"Think you two are still strong enough to fight?" Tuxedo Mask asked.  
  
"Yes, I think so," answered Mercury.  
  
Sailor Moon picked up the Moon Lunar Staff off the ground and raised it high above her. "Now it's MY turn to show what I can do!" With that, the Guardians and Tuxedo Mask rushed in for what hoped to be the final confrontation…  
  
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CHAPTER 26  
  
The rage that Ragor contained had been very effective against the two Guardians. Most of Sailor Mars' and Sailor Venus' fighting had been purely defense. During the fight, however, the duo tried to gain some ground.  
  
Ragor charged ahead, sword drawn. Sailor Mars tried her Celestial Fire attack, but Ragor simply deflected the oncoming fireballs with his sword's blade. Sailor Venus was next with her Love Chain, shooting it to encircle her enemy's weapon. Ragor snorted, cutting through the chain like a hot knife through butter.  
  
"If attacks like these are all you can muster," Ragor bellowed, "you might as well give up! My friends will not have died in vain!"  
  
"We'll never give up!" Sailor Venus retaliated. "We're the Sailor Guardians!"  
  
"Besides, your 'friends' are just more Nega-scum that we've had to clean up," added Sailor Mars. "Your group was nothing more than worthless trash!"  
  
The last comment sent the fire burning in Ragor to a fever pitch. No one had ever insulted the Seven Generals in such a manner before. And for that, he knew the girls would pay. Raising his right arm into the air, he thrust his palm out for his enemies to see. A small red gem was imbedded into his skin. "Your words cannot save you from this!" he sneered through his teeth. "Crimson Beam!"  
  
The jewel in his palm immediately glowed a bright red. Responding to Ragor's command, the gem shot a deep-red beam towards the two Guardians, leaving them no time to react. The beam slammed into Sailor Mars' chest, which in turn forced her against Sailor Venus. Both heroes crashed to the ground.  
  
No smile or sign of satisfaction appeared on Ragor's face. It was obvious that he was not through with the girls yet. "That was the weakest power that my gem can produce," Ragor boomed. "You will feel the ultimate suffering of my powers if you dare insult me again!"  
  
Sharp pain spread through Sailor Venus' body. Rolling over to her side, she saw Sailor Mars lying next to her, flat on her back. It didn't appear that she was moving. Worried, Venus put her ear to Mars' chest. When she heard the sounds of breathing from Mars, as shallow as it was, Venus was relieved.  
  
Venus then felt a sudden rush overcome her. "This has got to stop!" she said to herself. "I've been battered, bruised, blasted, pounded, and punched, and I can't take it anymore!"  
  
A mass amount of adrenaline was pumped through her body, giving her enough strength to climb to her feet. Ragor could not believe the resiliency of this girl. "Incredible," Ragor muttered as Venus kept struggling. "You still try to win where there is no way out?"  
  
Sailor Venus had managed to stand, although finding it difficult to keep her balance. "I…won't rest…until I defeat you,…or I…die trying!" she said boldly.  
  
"Very well," said Ragor, thrusting his palm forward once more. "I'll hold the latter part true." The gem imbedded in his hand began to grow to twice it's normal size. "Now you will feel the most powerful spell that I can cast! Crimson Tide!"  
  
The gem once again began to glow a bright red. Sailor Venus tried to focus enough energy for a counter-attack, but she felt her body go slack. Dropping to one knee, she knew she couldn't delay the inevitable…  
  
"Moon Lunar Shield!" cried a familiar voice.  
  
The next few moments for Venus seemed to proceed in slow motion. Ragor had fired his Crimson Tide attack. Venus had covered her face with her arms in a feeble attempt to protect herself. But the blast never came. A few feet in front of her, she saw an object blocking the crimson laser from her body. It had the shape of a crescent moon.  
  
Looking behind her, she saw Sailor Moon, curiously without her meatballs, firing a small beam of energy from her staff. That was the object that created the shield, blocking the beam. To her right, Sailor Mercury was hovering over Sailor Mars, taking readings with her pocket computer. The back-up had finally arrived.  
  
"Sailor Moon!" Venus cried out in both surprise and joy.  
  
Ragor halted the beam soon after, for he knew the beam could not get through the infernal barrier. Seeing the two new Guardians on the battlefield, he became severely angered. "I still can't believe little ditzy girls like this managed to overcome my comrades," Ragor thought to himself. "I will honor my friends with the destruction of each and every one of these nuisances."  
  
Sailor Moon helped Sailor Venus return to her feet. "You look terrible," Sailor Moon commented, in a somewhat joking way. "What did he do to you?"  
  
Venus sighed. "Very funny," she responded, her voice becoming hoarse. "You should talk, Meatball-less Head," she managed to croak.  
  
"Hey, they came undone!" Sailor Moon retaliated. "Anyway, really, how do you feel?"  
  
"Not so good," said Venus. "I don't think I can fight anymore. I used all my strength against those other guys. Now Mars is out cold, I just don't know wha…I…uh " Her voice was totally gone after that, replaced by barely audible squeaks.  
  
"Save your strength, Venus," said Sailor Moon. "Do you think you can stand?" Venus shook her head yes. "Okay," Sailor Moon started again, "I think I know what to do."  
  
Sticking her staff into the ground point first, she reached to her the bow on her chest. She took her new broach and opened it. The Imperium Silver Rose Crystal was now visible.  
  
Sailor Moon touched the crystal with the palm of her right hand. By doing this, she began to withdraw energy from it. Her hand began to glow a bright white. Closing the broach, she took her glowing hand and placed it on Sailor Venus' forehead. "LUNAR HEALING RESTORATION!" she cried.  
  
Within seconds, Sailor Venus began to sense some strength returning to her body. Starting with her head, the feeling flowed throughout her body. After a minute or two, she felt stronger than before.  
  
"Wow," Venus muttered, her voice getting better, "Thanks a lot. How'd you do that?"  
  
Sailor Moon shrugged. "I really don't know," she replied. "All of the sudden, these words came to me and I knew what to do. It felt pretty weird!"  
  
"Yeah, me too!" said Venus. "It was just like me and my new attack. I just levitated and bingo! I performed the Guardian Venus Romance Ray."  
  
"Sailor Moon!" Mercury called. "Raye's down. We need some help over here!"  
  
"I know," Sailor Moon called back. "I'll be right there.  
  
Sailor Moon approached the unconscious body of Sailor Mars. Once again, she drew energy from the Silver Rose Crystal, and placed her hand upon Mars' forehead. "LUNAR HEALING RESTORATION!" she cried once more.  
  
Within seconds, Mars' eyes fluttered open, as if she awoke from a dream. "Sailor…Moon…" she muttered, somewhat surprised. "What…happened to your hair?"  
  
Sailor Moon growled. "Why does everyone have to ask me about my hair! I'm getting sick of it!"  
  
"Well, it does seem a bit odd without the meatballs in your hair," added Mercury. She turned back towards Mars, still checking her vital signs on the blue computer. "How do you feel, now?" Mercury asked.  
  
"Like a truck ran over me, what do you think?" Sailor Mars grumbled, massaging her temples. "Could someone help me up?" Sailor Mercury complied, helping Mars to her feet once more.  
  
Ragor had grown impatient. The girls weren't providing any offense for him to dismantle, much less fight against. Waiting long enough, he cleared his throat to speak again. "You worms are pathetic," he growled. "You have done nothing but stall the entire fight. I'm growing wearing of waiting. Fight me!"  
  
Sailor Moon turned to face Ragor. "We haven't stalled!" she retaliated.  
  
Ragor snorted. "Then you wouldn't mind another Crimson Beam, then?" he said, motioning towards the jewel imbedded in his palm.  
  
"Bring it on, Nega-slease!" Sailor Moon screamed.  
  
Mercury gasped. "Sailor Moon, what are you doing?" she frantically asked.  
  
"Do you want to get us killed?" added Mars.  
  
"Just wait," Sailor Moon whispered back to her friends. "I know what I'm doing."  
  
A smile appeared on Ragor's face. "Very well," he said. "It's your funeral!"  
  
With that said, Ragor thrust his palm forward once again, and again, the gem turned a bright red color. "Crimson…"  
  
"Grab him!"  
  
Within an instant, Ragor's attack was interrupted. The four Guardians saw both Sailor Jupiter and Tuxedo Mask hooking an arm each of the red ogre. Ragor tried to free himself of their grasp, but he was locked in his place.  
  
"We got him, Serena!" Jupiter shouted.  
  
"Do it now, Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask yelled.  
  
"You rotten freaks!" Ragor said through his teeth, still struggling. "Let me go!"  
  
As Ragor fought and cursed, Sailor Moon took the Moon Lunar Staff and raised it to the sky. Pointing the crescent moon upwards, it began to glow with an incredibly bright light. And with this light, the words came to her mind. "GUARDIAN MOON STROBE STRIFE!" she cried.  
  
Sailor Moon immediately pointed the staff forward. Multiple beams of light poured out of the staff, heading for Ragor fast…  
  
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Ragor had managed to gain the upper hand against his captors. He had managed to throw off Tuxedo Mask, and then used his free arm to push off Sailor Jupiter. He thought he was victorious, because the two heroes just scurried away afterwards. However, it was only seconds before the beams of light came into his vision.  
  
The last thought that passed through Ragor's head was "I'm sorry, my brothers. I have failed you…"  
  
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Sailor Jupiter and Tuxedo Mask managed to get away from Ragor at the nick of time. They knew they had to move right when Sailor Moon fired the Strobe Strife attack. Luckily, their timing was perfect as they rejoined the rest of the Guardians.  
  
The impact created a huge explosion, consuming Ragor within it. When the smoke cleared, all that was left of him was charred ashes within a small crater.  
  
Sailor Moon had dropped to one knee and clutched her chest, catching her breath. She had never experienced that much power before. Her new attack had taken a lot out of her. "Woah," said an amazed Sailor Jupiter. "Now that's what I call Moon Dusted!"  
  
"Ragor was just obliterated! Added Sailor Venus.  
  
Sailor Mercury pulled out her computer again and scanned the coordinates of the impact. "I can't pick up any traces of Ragor, or, what's left of him."  
  
"You mean he's just…gone?" asked Tuxedo Mask.  
  
"If there is anything there," Sailor Mercury added, "his body had gone under a chemical change, rearranging his chemical composition. I don't see any other solution."  
  
"Does that mean we won?" asked Sailor Mars. "We defeated all of the Seven Generals."  
  
"We're not through here," Sailor Moon said suddenly. "There's still one sleazy witch we need to take care of."  
  
The rest of the group immediately knew what Sailor Moon was saying. "Lilithite…" they muttered.  
  
"Dang right," said Sailor Moon. She slowly rose to her feet, placing the Moon Lunar Staff in the ground, point first. "Lilithite!" she screamed to the sky. "It's all your fault that our powers were taken away! It's all your fault we nearly broke our necks fighting this onslaught. It's all your fault! Come on out here! In the name of the Moon, there will be nothing left when I'm through with you!!!"  
  
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NEXT TIME...  
  
Lilithite is called out, and now a one-on-one battle to the end has been set? Who will be the winner? And when will Jedite appear? The battle reaches it's climax in the chapters ahead! 


	14. Chapters 27 and 28

AUTHORS NOTES  
  
DISCLAIMERS: Rights to Sailor Moon are owned by Naoko Taceuchi, Kondansha Publishing, Toei, DiC, Optimum Productions, Cloverway...am I forgetting anything?  
  
This story is supposed to provide an alternate story line to the Sailor Moon series. It starts after the Sailor Moon R series ends (the Death Phantom is destroyed and Rini goes home to Crystal Tokyo). The next events are of my own creation and do not relate to the Sailor Moon S series (at least not intentionally).  
  
I finished this fanfic over a year ago, before the S and SuperS seasons were dubbed in America. Please excuse any attack names that are DiC-ish, because that is what I had to work with at the time. ;) This story, after looking back, seems a cross between Japanese and American references. So, please excuse the term "Negaverse" as opposed to "Dark Kingdom", because the story focuses on Jedite.  
  
Anyway, please enjoy the story!  
  
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CHAPTER 27  
  
Sailor Mars, as well as the rest of the Sailor Guardians, looked on as Sailor Moon called Lilithite out for battle. However, Mars' mind was not concentrating on the possible battle at hand; she was trying to solve the biggest enigma she ever met: Serena.  
  
"I am so surprised at her sometimes," Mars thought to herself. "She can be such a ditz at times. She falls on her face, pigs out on food, and swoons over guys when she should be doing Sailor business. In all likelihood, she shouldn't even be here. But, even with all these negative qualities…why do I admire her so…  
  
"I mean, she can be ditzy, yet she can turn from that to brave whenever she wants. She can be so selfish, and yet, she gives and cares so much. She would give you the last bit of food she has, even though she would most likely take it for herself.  
  
"She has so many qualities on the inside that make her a good leader. On the outside, seems like a brainless twit. I don't know how she separates these personalities, and switches them so well. I can't figure her out. And yet, if I had live an entirely different life than I lead now, there's none better than I'd choose to live as…"  
  
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Sailor Moon was frustrated when she didn't get an immediate answer to her challenge. Once again, she began to yell to the skies. "Come on, Lilithite!" she screamed. "I've had it with you, and the entire Negaverse! We're gonna settle this now, and I'm not going to take no for an answer!"  
  
"Ask, and you shall receive, 'Sailor Moon'!" a voice reverberated in distance.  
  
Seconds after the response was heard by the Guardians, Sailor Moon heard several shrieks behind her. Totally focused on Lilithite, she almost forgot about her friends. Turning around, she saw that Mercury, Mars, Venus, and Jupiter had been trapped within rings of energy. They had pinned the arms of the Guardians at their sides, disabling them and leaving them helpless.  
  
"Oh, no!" was all Sailor Moon could utter as she ran to help them. She didn't notice a fifth ring heading towards her.  
  
Tuxedo Mask saw this and reacted immediately. "Serena!" he cried as he lunged to Sailor Moon's aid. Knocking her out of the way, Tuxedo Mask was caught within the energy ring instead.   
  
When she got her bearings again, Sailor Moon realized what happened. "Tuxedo Mask," she gasped.  
  
"This is your fight," Tuxedo Mask said, struggling within the power bonds of the energy ring. "I wouldn't dream of intruding unless you needed it."  
  
"Well, well, well, it seems that I've captured all of the kittens," the voice spoke. This was followed by an energy spiraling out from under the ground a few feet from where Sailor Moon was standing. Within seconds, the spiral disappeared, and Lilithite was left standing. "Now I have to dispose of the mother cat," she finished.  
  
Sailor Moon stared at Lilithite with enraged eyes. "You…." she muttered, her fists growing tighter with each second. "You……MONSTER!"  
  
Without even thinking, she threw a right hook at Lilithite's head. Sensing this, Lilithite ducked. "Ah, ah, ah…" Lilithite mocked. "Patience, patience, Sailor Moon. You'll get your chance." A green ball of energy was forming behind her back. "And that chance is…NOW!"  
  
Lilithite hurled the energy ball at Sailor Moon using only her thoughts. This had officially initiated the fight. Sailor Moon had narrowly dodged it, flying to the ball's right. The ball crashed to the ground, sending orange grass and dirt everywhere.  
  
Sailor Moon took this opportunity to lunge at Lilithite once again. She threw punch after punch at the Negaverse demon. Catching Lilithite off guard, the punches connected in her midsection. After about five or six, Lilithite dropped to the ground to catch her breath.  
  
"Impressive," she commented between breaths. "You're not just a clumsy, air-head after all."  
  
Sailor Moon raised her fist to strike again, but left her mid-section open. Lilithite seized this opportunity, striking Sailor Moon with a punch of her own. Sailor Moon staggered back, holding her stomach. Lilithite followed it up with another energy bolt. This time, it connected with Sailor Moon's chest, sending her down to the ground.  
  
With Sailor Moon down, Lilithite fired more bolts of energy at her. Thinking fast, Sailor Moon rolled out of the way of the incoming energy. Lilithite sneered, and fired more bolts in the direction Sailor Moon was rolling. Sailor Moon couldn't outrun the new energy bolts. She seemed trapped.  
  
Suddenly, the broach upon her chest flared with silver light. "The Silver Rose Crystal," she thought to herself. The light created a barrier, deflecting the green energy in all directions. Lilithite was shocked.  
  
With the Imperium Silver Rose Crystal providing protection, Sailor Moon managed to get back to her feet. Lilithite then charged towards her at blinding speed. Sailor Moon decided to respond with the same action, charging towards Lilithite. Both ran as fast as they could.  
  
Within seconds, they collided. Sailor Moon bent at the last second, jamming her shoulder into Lilithite's gut. The force of the blow sent Lilithite reeling back. The wind was knocked out of her. This was Sailor Moon's chance to put her away.  
  
"Moon Lunar Staff!" she cried. Her weapon then disappeared from the ground it was imbedded in, and reappeared within her hands. She pointed it towards the sky, ready to fire. "GUARDIAN MOON STROBE STRIFE!"  
  
Pointing the staff at Lilithite, multiple beams of light were launched from the crescent moon on top. Each beam hit Lilithite, creating another huge explosion…  
  
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This caused the rings holding back the Sailor Guardians and Tuxedo Mask disappeared. They all fell to the ground, most of their strength they used trying to break free.  
  
As the energy dissipated from the attack, Sailor Moon took a moment to look at the smoke and small fires that had replaced Lilithite's location. "Dusted…" she triumphantly whispered to herself.  
  
She then ran back to her friends, practically in a daze. It was her will alone that kept her on her feet. "Guys! I'm here!" she cried.  
  
Sailor Mercury weakly turned her head towards where the shouting was coming from. "Se…Serena…" she uttered.  
  
"Sailor Moon…" added Sailor Venus.  
  
Once Sailor Moon arrived at the Guardians' location, she placed her right hand upon the Silver Rose Crystal. "LUNAR HEALING RESTORATION!" she cried.  
  
This time, however, she drew more energy from her crystal than she would have used for one person. After drawing the necessary energy, she raised her hand in the air. Waves of white light flowed towards her friends, with each wave containing energy that they desperately needed. With that energy, the Guardians were able to return to their feet again.  
  
When the healing was finished, Tuxedo Mask was the first one she saw. "Darien…" she uttered, feeling that formal names were not needed this time.  
  
"Serena," he answered back, the feeling mutual.  
  
"Th…thank you for…for…" she stuttered. The combination of not knowing how to say 'Gee, thanks for sacrificing yourself for my sake!', and the effects of the battle were finally getting to her.  
  
"You don't have to say it," Tuxedo Mask reassured her. "I told you it was your fight. Hey, and you won, too!"  
  
"Yeah, we knew you could do it!" Sailor Jupiter added.  
  
"We all believed in you!" added Sailor Mars.  
  
Sailor Moon, letting her muscles relax, felt her body go limp. She collapsed upon the ground, getting the first bit of rest she had in the entire battle.  
  
"Serena!" her friends called out, rushing to her aid. Tuxedo Mask was there first, propping her head into his lap. Sailor Moon seemed to be content at this point.  
  
"Serena, are you hurt?" asked Tuxedo Mask, worried for her.  
  
"I'm fine…really," she responded. "I think I used too much energy from the crystal, though. I feel so tired…"  
  
"Don't worry, Serena," Tuxedo Mask said reassuringly. "Now you can rest."  
  
"Not…by a long…shot…" came a voice behind them.  
  
"Aw, not again!" Sailor Venus shouted.  
  
"It can't be!" Sailor Mercury added. "No one could have survived a blast like that!"  
  
Lilithite was crawling on her hands and knees, refusing to give up the battle. Her hair was singed, her clothes in tattered rags, her body covered with green blood, her life almost gone. She would never give up. "I…will win…the Nega…verse…will win!"  
  
"That's enough, Lilithite!" came another voice from beyond.  
  
The Guardians were shocked when they heard the next voice. Lilithite had a smile upon her face. "Jedite…" she whispered.  
  
Jedite appeared before all of them, armor and all. He had an odd smile upon his face. "That's enough fighting, Lilithite. I'm taking over the battle from here. You're finished."  
  
Lilithite's smile grew wider. "Oh, thank you, my love…" she uttered. She reached her hand towards the sky, towards Jedite. "We can finish the Guardians together…"  
  
A black globe of energy appeared in Jedite's hands. "Perhaps I didn't make myself clear," he sneered, no emotion in his voice. "I said, you're finished!"  
  
Suddenly, the realization appeared upon Lilithite's face. "Oh…no, Jedite…please no…I thought…you…loved…me…"  
  
"So naïve," he boomed. "So young and emotional. Emotions have no place on a battlefield. And you will find that out…first…hand…"  
  
The Guardians could only watch the confusing scene play out. They watched as Jedite hurled the black orb towards Lilithite. They saw the orb engulf her within blackened flames. They heard her unending scream last an eternity. They heard her last words clear as a bell. "Forgive me…forgive me…"  
  
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CHAPTER 28  
  
The Sailor Guardians stood dumbfounded at what they just witnessed. Jedite had turned on his partner, and killed her. None of the Guardians had ever thought that this would happen.  
  
Jedite seemed content at the moment, just hovering over Lilithite's scorched body, cackling to himself. Seeing this, the Sailor Guardians regrouped a few feet away. Tuxedo Mask carried the near unconscious Sailor Moon in his arms to help save her strength.  
  
"I don't believe this," Sailor Venus whispered. They had to keep their voices down so Jedite wouldn't hear them. "He just flat out killed her!"  
  
"I say good riddance," Sailor Jupiter added. "That woman was nothing but a pain. It's about time she was taken care of, even if it was Jedite."  
  
"I agree," said Tuxedo Mask, still cradling Sailor Moon within his arms, "but I can't figure out why Jedite would do such a thing.  
  
"Maybe it was a mercy killing," Jupiter interjected. "You saw what bad condition Lilithite's body was in."  
  
"I doubt it," Sailor Mercury said. "From what Jedite was saying, it was no where near a mercy killing."  
  
Sailor Mars hung her head. "I think I know why."  
  
"Really?" asked Venus.  
  
"Yeah," Mars responded.  
  
"What do you think?" Jupiter asked.  
  
"It's one of the many characteristics that makes the way of evil complete," Sailor Mars explained. "Evil naturally turns upon itself."  
  
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Jedite took a moment to look at his handiwork before he advanced towards the Guardians. He stared at what was left of Lilithite's body. Parts of a white skeleton was all that remained, scattered with burnt flesh and blackened ash.  
  
Jedite chuckled under his breath. "Pathetic," he said softly. "She seemed so promising. Yet, she turned out to be weak in the end. And she actually had feelings for me. How amusing." Jedite laughed to himself. "Either I'm quite the charmer, or my spell worked better than I thought."  
  
His ears then caught bits and pieces of the conversation the Guardians were having. The only full sentence that he heard came from the raven-haired girl. "Evil naturally turns upon itself." It was then when Jedite chose to advance.  
  
"Do you smell a fault in this, Sailor Mars?" beamed Jedite, putting forth a cold stare upon the Guardians.  
  
"Jedite…" the Guardians murmured.  
  
"Yes, it is true that evil does turn upon itself," said Jedite, "but she had served her purpose."  
  
"Her purpose?" asked a confused Jupiter.  
  
Jedite broke into gales of laughter after what seemed such a moronic response. "Stupid girls," Jedite commented. "Do you really think I intended to keep her along side me? No! She wasn't even from the Negaverse."  
  
"What?" exclaimed Sailor Venus. "Then how did she…"  
  
"Allow me to explain this to you in the simplest of terms," Jedite interrupted. "A year ago, before my failure which imprisoned me, I took a 'fail-safe' measure just in case all went wrong. I found a girl by the name of Lilith, and placed a spell upon her. The spell would wipe her memories clean, and give her the power of the Negaverse. Her mission: to revive me from my crystal prison. If I survived, the spell would have done nothing. But since I failed, it took effect…"  
  
"You monster!" Sailor Jupiter shouted all of the sudden. "You took her identity away and used her! That's inhuman!" She began to run towards the evil being, but she hit an invisible wall while trying.  
  
"No, no, Jupiter," Jedite sarcastically scolded. "The dark barrier prevents all opposition from getting through to me. I doubt your case is any different."  
  
As Sailor Jupiter backed away, the other Guardians stared coldly at Jedite. "You are sick," Sailor Mercury stated. "No one can stoop any lower than you have."  
  
Jedite laughed at this comment. "Don't tell me that you haven't done the same thing, dear Mercury. It seems that while I was suffering, you were turning our warriors over to your side as well."  
  
"That was different!" Sailor Mars exclaimed. "The people we healed were already brainwashed by the Negaverse!"  
  
"Truthfully, dear Mars, I do not see the difference in that at all," Jedite snorted. "We 'healed' the people into our image, you 'healed' the people into your image."  
  
Sailor Jupiter took a few steps towards Jedite. "You got it all wrong! Those people…"  
  
"Silence!" Jedite screamed. The barrier around Jedite flashed suddenly, and a black lightning bolt sprung forth, striking just short of Jupiter's feet. This caused her to jump back in surprise. Jedite sighed. "I grow tired of these verbal fights. Perhaps now you will be more inclined to a 'real' battle…" The barrier flashed again, this time with a large energy ball forming in the center.  
  
"This isn't good," Tuxedo Mask said. "Serena's in no condition to fight."  
  
"We're going to have to buy some time then," said Sailor Mars. "We can't do much else."  
  
"Prepare to die, mortals!" Jedite shouted, hurling the black ball at the unsuspecting warriors.  
  
Sailor Mercury saw the energy out of the corner of her eye. "Get out of the way!" she shouted.  
  
Immediately, the Guardians scattered in all directions, with Tuxedo Mask once again carrying Sailor Moon to safety. The energy collided with the ground, creating a huge blaze where the Guardians once stood.  
  
Jedite began to laugh maniacally. "Finally, I will exact my revenge upon you, and then realm of the Earth will mine for the taking!" Thrusting his palm forward, small lightning bolts began to rain from the dark barrier. They were scattering all over the greenish-orange grass, singeing each blade they touched.  
  
Sailor Mercury took the initiative. "Shine Aqua…ILLUSION!" she shouted. With a wave of her hands, a huge wall of ice extended from the ground to an arc above her head. The rest of the Guardians and Tuxedo Mask regrouped behind the wall for cover.  
  
"The wall won't last long," Sailor Mercury pointed out. "Each lightning bolt chips part of the ice away."  
  
"At least it buys us some time," said Sailor Venus.  
  
"So what do we do now?" asked Sailor Jupiter. "Sailor Moon is out, Jedite's got the advantage, and I don't think the lightning is going to let up any time soon."  
  
"I guess we wait it out," suggested Sailor Mars. "Then we'll decide what to do."  
  
As the Guardians were discussing strategy, Tuxedo Mask seemingly wasn't paying attention. His attention was on his beloved, Sailor Moon. Her eyes had been fluttering open and closed for a good twenty minutes now. If only she hadn't used so much of the Imperium Crystal's energy.  
  
"Serena," Tuxedo Mask whispered to her, "we could really use your help right now. I've always believed in you, Meatball-head. From the time I first met you, through the times I lost my memory, through the times I was in the Negaverse, to the times in the future. There was always a part of me, no matter how small, that has believed in you. And the last thing I want you to do is give up on us now."  
  
A small groan could be heard from Sailor Moon's mouth. "…oh…..n…..no…."  
  
This caught Tuxedo Mask off guard. "Serena?"  
  
The other Guardians, hearing this, gathered around Serena's body. "Is she waking up?" asked Sailor Venus.  
  
"…no…no more…," muttered Sailor Moon, her eyes slowly opening.  
  
Tuxedo Mask put his hand to her face, caressing her cheeks . He tried to get her to finish the sentence. "No more what, Serena? No more what?"  
  
"…no more…fighting…," she muttered, slowly coming aware of where she was.  
  
Tuxedo Mask was confused "What do you mean, 'no more fighting'? You can't give up now…"  
  
Sailor Moon grabbed Tuxedo Mask's arm with her hand, strength slowly coming back to her. "No, my darling," she whispered. "There will be no more fighting. The line will be drawn here."  
  
It was at that moment that the Imperium Silver Rose Crystal flashed. Sailor Moon began to levitate out of Tuxedo Mask's arms.  
  
"What is she…oh, no!" gasped Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"She's going to use the Crystal!" exclaimed Sailor Venus.  
  
"Don't do it, Serena!" Sailor Mercury implored. "If you use the Crystal at full power…"  
  
"…you're not going to survive!" finished Sailor Mars.  
  
Tuxedo Mask suddenly realized what was going on. What was said to him before didn't come from just Sailor Moon. It came from Princess Serenity as well. But he also knew that using the Silver Rose Crystal could be suicide.  
  
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Sailor Moon emerged from behind the ice wall, much to the surprise of Jedite. Upon seeing the levitating figure, he ceased the raining of the lightning. "What kind of parlor tricks are these?" he said with a half smile. "Nothing can stop me now, not even Sailor Moon!"  
  
"But that's where you're wrong, Jedite," Sailor Moon said, ceasing her movement upwards when she met Jedite at eye level. "The power of goodness has always overcome the powers of evil. This time is no exception."  
  
Sailor Moon removed the Imperium Silver Rose Crystal from her broach. Grasping it firmly within her hands, a bright light began to shine. Her Sailor costume expanded forth, forming a beautiful white dress. Crescent moons made of gold were sewn into the top, with a long flowing train nearly touching the ground.  
  
Jedite was shocked. "Se…Serenity!" he shouted.  
  
"I am Serena," Princess Serenity stated. "Princess of the Moon Kingdom, and heir to Queen Serenity's throne. You are nothing more than a pawn of the evil root that controls you. You are nothing."  
  
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The other heroes were still standing behind the ice wall, staring in awe at the resurfaced princess. "I never thought Serena could talk that well!" Sailor Mars said.  
  
"That's Princess Serenity talking," Sailor Jupiter commented.  
  
"I know," said Sailor Mars. "It's hard to believe that someone like Princess Serenity is walled up inside someone like Serena sometimes."  
  
"I think that there is someone like Princess Serenity in all of us," suggested Sailor Venus.  
  
"I agree," Tuxedo Mask mentioned. "No matter how big, or small, intelligent or not, there's someone there."  
  
"And Serena is no exception," said Sailor Mercury.  
  
Together, they kept watching as the drama unfolded between the light and dark…  
  
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A small amount of fear began to work into Jedite's system, but he was too proud to let it show. He had not expected the full power of the Silver Crystal to be used, or even mentioned. He'd have to learn to take these matters into account in the future.  
  
The stare-down was nearing it's end. Jedite could not remain dormant for any longer. "Serenity, or not," he began, "princess or queen, hero or coward, this is the end. My order will reign supreme. The time of Serenity's court is passed. And I, and I alone, will be the one to enforce this!" The barrier flashed a final time, now becoming visible to all the Guardians. A large circle was forming in the middle of the barrier, rippling into place. Jedite put forward his palms, helping the circle grow larger. He was ready to unleash his final assault. "TIME TO DIE, SAILOR MOON!"  
  
Jedite thrust his arms through the barrier, forcing a huge black beam of energy from it, streaking straight towards the floating princess. Sailor Moon countered by letting the Imperium Crystal flow outwards from her hands, creating a counter barrier to protect her. The resulting collision of light and dark forces, sent high winds and large beams of lightning and fire upon the battle field. The sudden change of climate shattered the ice wall into millions of pieces. The Sailor Guardians had to shield themselves from the resulting ice chunks hurled their way as well as the fire and lightning.  
  
"Your kind are not welcomed upon the Earth!" Princess Serenity shouted above the high winds, trying hard to keep her shield from shrinking. Concentrating her thoughts upon the hated villain, she put forward her arms, and released her own beam to counter the one Jedite was holding.  
  
"Face it, Princess," yelled Jedite, "you cannot win! With the limited power you possess now, there is no way for you to win!"  
  
Jedite intensified his beam to weaken any defense that Serenity was trying to perform. It seemed to work, for her beam was shrinking. "I'll…never…give up…Jedite!" Serenity yelled, holding on as best she could.  
  
The Sailor Guardians, shielding themselves from the resulting effects of the battle, tried their best to see what was going on. "Can anybody see anything?" Venus shouted amidst the commotion.  
  
"What's happening?" Mars yelled. "I can't see!"  
  
Tuxedo Mask looked to the sky, using the Rose Staff to absorb the incoming energies. He could barely make out Serenity and the weakening beam. "She's in trouble!" he shouted at the top of her lungs. "She can't last that much longer!"  
  
Sailor Jupiter, hearing this, staggered closer to her friends. "There's…no other way, guys!" she yelled. "We have to pool our powers together to finish him!"  
  
"Yes," shouted Mercury in agreement. "If we lend our powers to the Silver Rose Crystal once more, we can beat Jedite once and for all!"  
  
Tuxedo Mask nodded. "Then lets do it," he shouted. "Jedite, your nightmare of darkness is over! We will be the ones who'll triumph!" At that moment, his tuxedo faded away, and was replaced with a highly elaborate suit of armor. Prince Endymion had surfaced.  
  
"We have to do this now!" shouted Sailor Mars. "Join hands, everybody!"  
  
The four Sailor Guardians all met in one spot, joining hands with eachother. Prince Endymion didn't, however. He was concentrating the energy he gained in his staff towards the Imperium Silver Rose Crystal.  
  
"MERCURY PLANET POWER!"  
  
"MARS PLANET POWER!"  
  
"JUPITER PLANET POWER!"  
  
"VENUS PLANET POWER!"  
  
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Princess Serenity tried to force Jedite's beam back, but to no avail. Her attack was weakening. His beam was growing closer. It would only be a matter of time before the Silver Crystal would become useless.  
  
Suddenly, all the surrounding sound seemed to drain away. She could hear nothing of the battle. Nothing except her friends and fellow Guardians, clear as a bell.  
  
"MERCURY PLANET POWER!"  
  
"MARS PLANET POWER!"  
  
"JUPITER PLANET POWER!"  
  
"VENUS PLANET POWER!"  
  
As soon as Serenity heard these voices, she knew what she must do. It was to be their final offense, she  
realized. If this didn't work, nothing would. Without even thinking about it, she took a deep breath…  
  
"MOON LUNAR POWER!"  
  
"GUARDIAN PLANET ATTACK!" cried the heroes.  
  
The symbols of the Guardian's respective tiaras began to glow, then fire their respective colors of light, each which met together at a centralized location. Prince Endymion added the energy from his staff to the location as well. From this location a solidified beam of multi-colored light proceeded towards the Imperium Silver Rose Crystal at blinding speeds. Once intercepted, Princess Serenity received a huge increase in her strength and power. Once more, she fired her own beam of light.  
  
This time, the beam of Serenity shown forth in a myriad of colors. The intensified beam outnumbered Jedite's with at least three times it's size, and triple of that in power. Jedite's beam was shrinking faster than he knew it.  
  
One million thoughts circled Jedite's mind at once. "No…it can't be…the power of Serenity is no where near compared to mine! This is impossible! No one can stand up to me! No! NO! NOOOOOOOO!"  
  
The Guardian's beam slammed into Jedite's shield obliterating it with it's force. The beam surrounded Jedite's body from all sides. As Jedite screamed in agony, he felt his power, and his body, withering away. Within seconds, his body disintegrated. And with this, the power holding the endless battlefield weakened. Without the evil entity's power holding it together, it was seconds before the dimension collapsed upon itself.  
  
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NEXT TIME...  
  
The battle is over, and the aftermath begins. Our heroes part, and well kept secrets are revealed. How will everyone cope? 


	15. Chapters 29 and 30

AUTHORS NOTES  
  
DISCLAIMERS: Rights to Sailor Moon are owned by Naoko Taceuchi, Kondansha Publishing, Toei, DiC, Optimum Productions, Cloverway...am I forgetting anything?  
  
This story is supposed to provide an alternate story line to the Sailor Moon series. It starts after the Sailor Moon R series ends (the Death Phantom is destroyed and Rini goes home to Crystal Tokyo). The next events are of my own creation and do not relate to the Sailor Moon S series (at least not intentionally).  
  
I finished this fanfic over a year ago, before the S and SuperS seasons were dubbed in America. Please excuse any attack names that are DiC-ish, because that is what I had to work with at the time. ;) This story, after looking back, seems a cross between Japanese and American references. So, please excuse the term "Negaverse" as opposed to "Dark Kingdom", because the story focuses on Jedite.  
  
Anyway, please enjoy the story!  
  
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CHAPTER 29  
  
For a moment, everything was white. Serena was still floating in the air, dressed in her normal clothes once more. She was very disoriented after controlling that much power. The sudden change in light made her shield her eyes. "Wha…what's happening?" she muttered to herself. "Where is everyone? Am I…am I dead…?"  
  
"Quite the contrary, my daughter," came a familiar voice.  
  
Serena recognized it in a heartbeat. "Queen Serenity!" she shouted with joy.  
  
Soon the light dimmed to reveal the remains of the Moon Kingdom once again. Queen Serenity faced the levitated Serena, along with the other Planetary Guardians: Elistar, Lana, Selene, and Richter.  
  
"Congratulations, Princess Serenity," Elistar began. "And thank you."  
  
"You have once again triumphed over the evils that plagued you," Selene continued.  
  
"You used the power and resolve in yourselves to achieve your victory," Lana interjected.  
  
"We saw you from above," Richter added. "Dang, you guys kicked serious butt down there!"  
  
"You are truly worthy of the title of 'Guardian,'" Queen Serenity finished.  
  
Serena, listening to the glowing complements of her elders, didn't realize that her feet were firmly planted on the ground once more. Looking around, she noticed that her friends weren't with her. "Hey, where is everyone?" she asked aloud.  
  
"We have talked to everyone separately," Selene remarked. "Your friends have returned to Earth."  
  
"I see," Serena said, breathing a sigh of relief knowing her friends were all right. Looking downward, however, she noticed that she was dressed in her normal clothing. "Oh no, did I lose my powers again?"  
  
Queen Serenity giggled slightly. "Your powers are fine, my daughter," she reassured Serena. "You don't have to worry. You transformed into your normal states when we helped you exit the dimension."  
  
"You helped us out?" Serena asked. "I thought you were just spirits, or something."  
  
Richter laughed. "Hey, we may be spirits, but that doesn't mean we don't have any power!"  
  
"The dimension you were fighting in collapsed upon itself," Elistar explained. "We used what power we still possessed to teleport you back to Earth."  
  
"But why am I still here?" Serena asked.  
  
"Your spirit is here with us," Lana explained. "This was done with your friends as well. They were brought here in spirit form, and we congratulated them."  
  
"That," Elistar interjected, "and we had to tell them something else. And that something is not that pleasant."  
  
Serena was confused. "Not pleasant? Does that mean Jedite survived?"  
  
"No, Jedite was destroyed," Selene said. "But there is another evil that is awakening."  
  
"Another evil?" Serena asked, a small bit a of fear creeping into her system.  
  
"We can't tell what it is, or where it is exactly," Richter said, "but we're sensing an evil presence in your Solar System."  
  
"And it is a powerful presence," said Lana. "This evil could be more difficult to defeat."  
  
"Your friends know of this as well," commented Queen Serenity. "You could not have gained the Guardian powers at a better time."  
  
"Well, uh, thanks for warning us," said Serena. "Now at least we know what to expect."  
  
"You are most welcome," said Queen Serenity. "Now is the time for you to return to your body on Earth, my child. Take care, and protect all of those who need it, for you are Sailor Moon, Champion of Justice!"  
  
Serena smiled. She began to perform the signs of when she was Sailor Moon. "And in the name of the Moon, I will punish them!"  
  
"Good bye, dear Serena," Queen Serenity said with a tear in her eye. "And good luck in your future endeavors."  
  
Tears flowed down Serena's cheeks as well. "Good bye, Mother…"  
  
And then, everything became dark.  
  
@@@@@  
  
"Serena…Serena wake up!"  
  
"Is she dead?"  
  
"No. According to my readings, she's just sleeping."  
  
"Just like that Meatball-Head to snooze like that."  
  
"Knock it off, Raye! She was controlling a huge amount of power!"  
  
"I'm sorry. Really. That just slipped out."  
  
"Come on, Serena! Open your eyes!"  
  
"You can't leave us now!"  
  
"Hold on, my readings are showing she's coming out of it!"  
  
"She's waking up?"  
  
"Serena! We're here! We're all here!"  
  
It took a moment or two, but Serena finally opened her eyes. What she saw was somewhat surprising. To her left was Amy, kneeling beside her, taking readings on her computer. Luna was perched upon Amy's shoulder. Lita was beside them both, shaking Serena awake. To her right, Raye was shaking Serena as well. Mina sat beside her, with Artemis happily sitting upon her shoulder. Serena also noticed that someone was holding her hands. Gazing upwards, she figured out that she was resting comfortably in the lap of Darien, his warm hands holding hers. It seemed that she had returned to her reality, gazing at a starry sky.  
  
"Everyone," she muttered, becoming more awake by the second. "You're all here."  
  
"Serena!" everyone shouted, overjoyed that she awakened.  
  
"We thought we lost you for a second, Meatball-Head," said Darien, joking and somewhat crying at the same time.  
  
Serena's face turned into a huge smile at the sight of her boyfriend. "Oh, Darien," she said lovingly, suddenly springing to a sitting position and hugging him tightly.  
  
"We're so glad that you're okay," said Luna.  
  
"That must have been a rough battle!" added Artemis.  
  
"Sure it was rough," said Serena, "but in the end, Jedite definitely wound up as moon dust!" Gaining a more detailed view of her surroundings, she figured out that she was back in the vacant lot they entered their tests from. Looking at the stars in the sky, a realization came to here. "Oh my, what time is it?"  
  
"About 1:45 AM," Amy said, checking her watch. "We've been here for at least ten minutes making sure you were all right."  
  
Serena suddenly became very scared. "Oh man, my folks are gonna kill me!"  
  
"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Raye. "I'm going to have a fun time explaining this to my Grandfather!"  
  
"Yeah, and my parents, too," added Mina, with a small bit of laughter. "Do you think that we'll have to tell them our little 'secrets' this time?"  
  
"Well, not if you come up with really impressive alibis," Lita suggested.  
  
"Can you stand, Serena?" asked Luna.  
  
"Yeah, I can," she answered. "Thanks again, you guys."  
  
As the group rose to their feet, they spent a few minutes to talk about the battle the had won, they're conversations with their elders, and the possible new evil surfacing. After which, Amy, Lita, Raye, Artemis, and Mina said their good-byes to the group, and left to go home for the night. Luna decided to proceed home on foot, so she wouldn't arouse any more suspicion from Serena's parents. This left Serena and Darien alone.  
  
As Serena watched the rest of the group leave, had another bad realization come to her. "Oh, no, my house is too far to walk to from here."  
  
"I'll take you home," Darien offered.  
  
Serena seemed somewhat shocked. "Darien, you can't!" she said. "How am I going to explain you to my parents? You know about the near heart attack my dad had the first time he met you!"  
  
"Hey, I have a good alibi to cover that up," he reassured. "How about, I was taking a midnight stroll, and I found you sleeping on that park bench?" He pointed to the bench where his motorcycle was parked.  
  
"Not the best of excuses," Serena mentioned. "But knowing my parents, they'll probably believe it."  
  
Darien blushed slightly. "It's late," he explained. "I can't think straight."  
  
Serena winked at him. "Sure you did, Muffin," she said sarcastically.  
  
Both had a good laugh before moving to the motorcycle. Both strapped helmets upon themselves, and soon after, Darien took Serena home.  
  
@@@@@  
  
Within a moment, Sammy had made a connection. "The hair!" he said aloud. "No one except Serena could come up with the same goofy hairstyle! I should have known. Serena's Sailor Moon!"  
  
His discovery was short lived, however, for there came a knock at the door. Hoping it was good news, Sammy bounded down the stairs.  
  
"Serena!" he heard his mother say. "Ken! Serena's home!"  
  
"Serena?" his father blurted out. "Is she hurt?"  
  
Sammy made it to the bottom of the stairs. The first thing he saw was his parents, frantically by the doorway, ushering in two familiar figures. One was a man in khaki pants, a black shirt, and green jacket. He recognized the man as Darien, Serena's friend. The second figure was his ever elusive sister. "Serena!" he shouted with joy.  
  
"I'm fine, everyone," Serena said, taking a seat upon the near-by couch. "It's just good to be home again."  
  
After asking about a million questions relating to "Are you all right?," Ken managed to ask the question that Serena was prepared for. "Serena, what were you doing out there so late?"  
  
"You had us worried sick," Irene added.  
  
Darien, who was standing in the doorway, took the answer to that question. "Well, I couldn't sleep, so I took a walk around the neighborhood. Along the way, I saw your daughter sleeping on a park bench."  
  
"Figures," Sammy muttered under his breath.  
  
"Well, thank you, um…Darien, right?" Ken said.  
  
"Darien Chiba, Mr. Tsukino," Darien said.  
  
"That's right. Anyway, thank you for finding her," Ken said, rising from his seat to shake Darien's hand. Irene went to join her husband in finding out a little more about the 'hero' of the night.  
  
As Serena finally began to unwind, Sammy went over to her. "So, what did you really do out there, 'Sailor Moon'?" he asked slyly.  
  
Serena suddenly bolted up from her seat. "Wha…what are you talking about?" Serena said, hoping that Sammy wasn't thinking what she was thinking.  
  
"Don't play dumb with me, Serena," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm surprised that you kept it from us as long as ya did!" His gaze then shifted upon the mysterious Darien. "And who's that? You're 'Tuxedo Mask'?"  
  
Serena became furious. "You little creep!" she whispered hoarsely.  
  
"Pretty nice pickings for a boyfriend, Serena!" he cackled.  
  
"Shut up!" she whispered again. In the fit of anger and surprise she was in, she began to rant. "I can't believe it. I'm gone for a day, and already my cover is blown? For crying out loud, Sammy! Don't you know when to keep your mouth shut? So what if Darien's my boyfriend? As long as Mom and Dad don't know………." She suddenly realized she blurted those last few sentences out without thinking.  
  
Ken's alert ears also picked up the rant. "Boyfriend?" he shouted, almost at the top of his lungs. "Did you say, "BOY-friend?"  
  
@@@@@  
  
CHAPTER 30  
  
For a moment, it seemed like time froze. Serena held both hands to her mouth, as if not to let anymore secrets escape. Sammy backed away from the situation, seemingly not involving himself in any more of this. He actually ran up to his room to hide. Irene had shifted to an unbroken stare to her husband, hoping that he would not be too hard on the couple. Irene seemed to know in her heart that something was between Darien and her daughter, since the first time she met him. Darien had broken into a cold sweat. He didn't know what to do next. Ken, however, felt his rage increasing. No matter how happy he was to see his daughter back safe and sound, he could not believe what he had heard. His daughter was seeing an older man. "Is this true, Serena?" he belted out, the anger in his voice rising.  
  
Serena was backed into a corner. There was no way she could back out of this. "Well, um…..yes, butIcanexplain…"  
  
"I can't believe this!" Ken suddenly shouted. "My daughter has turned into a delinquent child behind my back!" He then pointed at Darien. "You're to blame for all this!"  
  
Darien, also backed into a corner, could not find a way to escape this situation either. "But Mr. Tsukino…"  
  
"Don't you 'Mr. Tsukino' ME, CHIBA!" he boomed.  
  
"Darling," Irene said calmly, putting a hand on Ken's shoulder. "Maybe there's a logical explanation for this…"  
  
Ken gently removed Irene's hand from his shoulder. "Honey, I can handle this. Of COURSE there's a logical explanation. But this is serious! Serena, how could you see this older man? He could take advantage of you, or worse! I thought you knew better than that! What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?"  
  
Serena was speechless. She could not explain the circumstances to her father. There was just know way that he could understand the love that she and Darien shared between eachother.  
  
Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice within her mind. "Maybe it is time that they should know…" it said.  
  
Serena recognized the voice as Queen Serenity once more, but couldn't figure out what she meant by it. "Wha?" Serena said aloud. "Know what?"  
  
"What did you say, Serena?" Ken belted, angry at the answers he wasn't getting.  
  
Within an instant, Serena's new broach suddenly materialized upon her chest. The broach then flashed open, revealing the Imperium Silver Rose Crystal.  
  
Both parents were very puzzled. "What in the world is going on?!?" Irene exclaimed.  
  
"I…I wish I knew," Serena shouted, truthfully not knowing what was happening.  
  
The broach flashed a bright light, and for a moment, Serena was encased in the costume of Sailor Moon. Ken was speechless. Darien was shocked as well, but soon the light flashed again. Darien was then clad in the costume of Tuxedo Mask.  
  
After a third flash of light, both Darien and Serena were standing together, side by side. Irene fell into a state of shock. Ken just continued to stare in astonishment. After about a moment or two the light faded, and Serena and Darien were clad in their normal clothes. It took a few moments for what Ken and Irene saw to sink in. Ken then took Irene's hand within his, and led her to the couch. Sitting down, somewhat shaking, he seemed a little more inclined to listen to his daughter.. "Okay, Serena," he said, his voice shaking, "maybe you should start at the beginning."  
  
@@@@@  
  
What followed next seemed to take forever to explain. Taking a few minutes beforehand to decide upon how they should explain certain events, Serena and Darien took turns of telling a grandiose tale of what happened in their lives the past year. First came the story of the Silver Millenium. The story of how Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion fell in love, and how they were betrothed to be married. Then the story shifted into tragic Queen Beryl chapter, of how they were killed by her, and how Queen Serenity sacrificed herself to save her children. Then came the explanation of how they were reincarnated into these bodies in the twentieth century. (This was not an easy task.) Then Serena explained that she obtained her powers from the spirit of Queen Serenity. (She decided it was best to exclude the two felines from the discussion, for that would have been very hard for their parents to believe.) Darien then explained how he obtained his powers, including a short synopsis on how he lost his memory when he was a child, and his life thereafter. The story then shifted into the humorous tale of how they met. Even Irene stifled a laugh when she heard it. Serena then told the stories of how she met the other Sailor Scouts. She excluded some key details, however, as well as the actual names of her partners of justice. (She didn't want her parents to know too much.) Then, Serena and Darien alternated in telling of their many battles led by the Negaverse generals Jedite and Nephlyte. The story of the Seven Rainbow Crystals came soon after, with mentions of Zoisite and Malachite included. After which, Darien explained how he and Serena found out eachother's true identities, and how their time together was short lived when the Negaverse captured him and brainwashed him. The story then took a huge turn when Serena told how the Sailor Scouts defeated the evil Beryl and Queen Metalia. This included why the Sailor Scouts lost their memories afterwards. The explanation continued with the arrival of Ann and Alan, two confused aliens searching for energy to feed themselves. Some of the high points included the return of the Sailor Scout's memories, the Doom Tree, the Moonlight Knight, and Serena's new powers. Then, Serena launched into the battles she had with the Four Sisters, and how she healed their hearts of the evil that plagued them. (These stories, as well as the others from this time period, cheerfully excluded the subject of Rini. Without the Luna-P present, Irene and Ken would not have the slightest recollection of the pink-haired child. This involved a lot of creative editing on Serena's part.) This led to the subject of Rubeus and his huge spaceship. Both Irene and Ken remembered that time, but never imagined that it was her daughter that helped destroy it. After hearing of the story of the UFO, Irene asked the duo if they had anything to do with the huge crystal that appeared in the middle of town not too long ago. In response to this, Serena and Darien told the involving story of the Death Phantom and the Dark Crystal, complete with Prince Diamond, Sapphire, and Emerald. (This story did not include the Scout's journey to the future. Both Darien and Serena were in agreement not to tell Serena's parents what they knew of the future, for the fear of scarring them, or perhaps making them expect too much.) Finally, the fairy-tale wonder of what was Serena's life came to an end with a synopsis of the most current events. These stories involved Lilithite (and the real reason behind the broach and the burglary), Jedite, the Planetary Guardians, and the Sailor Scout's transition into Sailor Guardians. This also brought the real reason of why Serena came home late to light. The entire story, due to the complexity and many key details, took a while to explain. It was nearing 3 AM when the story was finally finished.  
  
Ken and Irene were left speechless. They had just heard of stories and events that they had never expected to hear. Both could not believe that Serena, their daughter, was Sailor Moon.  
  
"I…I don't know what to say, Serena…" Ken managed to utter after a few moments of silence. "I mean, I can understand why you kept this a secret from us, but…" His voice trailed off, still in awe of his daughter.  
  
"Well, that's the whole story, Dad," said Serena, who nearly couldn't believe it herself that she told the near-entire story of her life as Sailor Moon. "There really wasn't any other way to say it."  
  
"I understand Serena," said Irene, rising from her seat, walking towards the couple. "At least, I think I do. Anyway, I knew that there was a logical explanation between the two of you. I never thought it would be this 'involved,' though."  
  
At this point, Ken rose from his seat as well. Instead of joining his wife, daughter, and his daughter's supposed "boyfriend," he walked towards a nearby window and just stood there, seemingly lost in deep thought.  
  
Darien took a few steps towards the still somewhat stunned man. "I know this is hard to believe, Mr. Tsukino," he began. "If I were hearing this for the first time, I'd be having doubts myself. But, maybe you can look at it this way. Maybe the spirits of Serena and I were sent into the future for more than one reason. Not just to fight the evil forces, but to give our love a second chance."  
  
Ken didn't seem to be paying full attention to what Darien was saying. All he seemed to be doing was casually nodding to Darien's words. Mustering up some more courage, Darien proceeded with his speech. "Mr. Tsukino, I love your daughter. With all my heart. I may be a few years older than her, but I can assure you that I never took advantage of her. I respect her, and trust her. And she respects and trusts me. And if you let us continue our relationship, I can guarantee you that you will see the trust there. I promise you."  
  
Again, casual nodding was the only action that Ken visibly performed. Darien, for one of the few times in his life, was getting nervous. He wasn't sure that his speech to Serena's father got through to him, or if it fell on deaf ears.  
  
Also, it seemed that everyone was waiting for a reply. Serena held Darien's hand for support, for once, and bit her lip. Irene was still standing next to Serena and Darien, not knowing what was going through her husband's mind. Even Sammy, who was spying all along at the top of the stairs, was awaiting an answer from his father.  
  
After a few careful minutes of deliberation, Ken turned his head to one side. "Mr. Chiba?" he said.  
  
"Yes sir?" gasped a nervous Darien, a lump in his throat.  
  
Ken had now turned around entirely to face him. "Normally, I'd have the head of any man your age who said the things you said to me just now, regardless of who they are." The next few words caught in his throat. "But given the circumstances, I'll…I'll make an exception."  
  
Everyone was overjoyed at what they head just heard. Serena had to pinch herself to make sure that she wasn't dreaming.  
  
Ken made his way to Darien once again, and shook his hand. "Please forgive what I said earlier. You seem like an upstanding young man," Ken mentioned. "And besides, from the pictures I've seen of Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, they looked so…right together. And now I know you're…him, well, you seem to resemble your alter-ego in many ways."  
  
"Thank you, sir," uttered Darien, still a bit nervous.  
  
Ken sighed. "I want you to take care of my daughter out there, Darien. Make sure she doesn't get hurt in…battle, or something." Ken then gave Darien the evil eye. "And if anything does happen to her, I WILL have your head!" Ken smiled afterwards, just to show Darien that he was joking.  
  
After a few more minutes of laughing and talking, it was time for Darien to go. Both Serena and Darien decided to forgo a good-bye kiss for the night. Although Irene might have been okay with it, they had to give Ken some time to adjust to the fact that they were dating and they were both superheroes.   
  
Serena watched from the doorway as Darien boarded his motorcycle. While she was, Ken suddenly turned to his wife. "Honey?" he said.  
  
"Yes?" his wife asked.  
  
Ken removed his glasses and clutched his throbbing skull. "Please take me upstairs, Irene. I don't feel too well…"  
  
Irene understood and smiled. She took Ken's hand, put her free hand on his shoulder, and led him up the stairs. "Come on, dearest, it's been a long day…"  
  
"Not only do I give her permission to date an eighteen-year-old boy," Ken ranted as he walked, "but we find out she's Sailor Moon, and a princess, and she was reincarnated, and flew in a UFO…" This continued for a while afterwards.  
  
After Serena saw Darien leave, she decided it was time to turn in herself. Stretching, she made her way up the stairs. At the top, she found her spying brother.  
  
"That was a great trick!" Sammy remarked. "And what a story!"  
  
Serena sighed. "Sammy, can't we talk about this in the morning?"  
  
"Come on," Sammy nagged. "Can I ask you some questions?"  
  
Serena just gave him a stare. "Look, if you want to see the effect of my Moon Staff up close, just keep talking."  
  
Sammy began to grow a little pale. "But it's just a wand, right?….Right?"  
  
Serena grinned evilly. "It's a Staff now, genius," she remarked.  
  
Growing more pale, Sammy said his goodnights and quickly ran into his room. Satisfied with herself, Serena made it into her room and closed the door.  
  
About a minute later, she saw Luna jump through the open window. "I thought I saw a white light coming from this direction," Luna panted, catching her breath, "but I never thought it would be this house again! Is everyone okay?"  
  
Serena just flopped down upon her bed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Luna!" Within a few moments, she fell fast asleep.  
  
Luna, taking this as a sign that everything was okay, jumped on the foot of Serena's bed. "Oh, it's been a long day," she remarked as she curled up and went to sleep herself.  
  
@@@@@  
  
NEXT TIME...  
  
The epilogue to the story, with a surprising twist. Plus, since it has been nearly three years since work began on "Return of the Jedite", I take time to reflect on my first serious piece. 


	16. Epilogue & Reflections

AUTHORS NOTES  
  
DISCLAIMERS: Rights to Sailor Moon are owned by Naoko Taceuchi, Kondansha Publishing, Toei, DiC, Optimum Productions, Cloverway...am I forgetting anything?  
  
There will be VERY DETAILED Authors Notes at the end of the fic, if you're intereted.  
  
Anyway, please enjoy the story!  
  
@@@@@  
  
EPILOGUE  
  
"Bye, Mom! I'm meeting Darien in the park!"  
  
"Have fun, Serena. Don't come home too late!"  
  
"I won't this time, Mom. I promise!"  
  
It had been three days since her fateful battle with Jedite, and her fateful night with her parents. Serena had spent these few days with her family, to help ease any fears and doubts they still had, or may have had. She also spent the time sighting all of the good qualities Darien possessed, and assuring her father that Darien hadn't taken advantage of her in the slightest.  
  
Ken had become more comfortable with Darien as the days passed. From the countless stories Serena had told him, to the stories he heard on that fateful night, to the words out of Darien's mouth himself, he concluded that Darien was a suitable boy for Serena to date. Granted that he was slightly uncomfortable about the fact that Darien was nearly four years older than Serena, and the fact that he was going to college, but he would just have to accept that.  
  
As Serena left the house, she thought to what Luna had said to her. "It seems that Queen Serenity has given you two more time to spend with eachother. Her methods of this seem…interesting to say the least, but now that your parents have somewhat come to terms, you should be able to breathe a little easier."  
  
This was true in a sense. Serena was able to breathe easier. Now that her relationship with Darien was out in the open, and that her parents actually approved, she had one less thing to worry about.  
  
Checking her watch, Serena realized that she was a few moments behind schedule, among other things. "Darn it!" she thought to herself. "I can't be late again! Not now!" she then broke into a run, with Darien and the park just a short while away.  
  
@@@@@  
  
Ten minutes later, Serena finally made it to the park entrance. Waiting there, with a warm smile, was Darien. "You're late again, Meatball-Head," he remarked.  
  
Instead of trying to defend herself, Serena just wrapped her arms around the one she loved. "Can't we just enjoy the moment?" she asked.  
  
Darien's response was a simple one, for he leaned down towards Serena, his lips meeting hers. Serena, liking this response, returned the embrace. After a moment, Darien broke it off. "Of course," he said plainly. Serena laughed.  
  
The couple entered the park hand in hand. Walking around, Darien began a new conversation. "So, how's your dad holding up?" he asked.  
  
"He's doing okay," Serena replied. "He's still feeling weird with the fact we're dating, but every time I talk to him, he seems to be more relaxed about it."  
  
"Don't tell me that he's full relaxed about it already," Darien said.  
  
Serena laughed again. "Believe me, Darien, it's going to be a long time before Dad is fully relaxed!"  
  
Darien laughed as well. "I thought so. Do the other Scou…uh, Guardians know that your parents know?"  
  
"Believe me, I make that same mistake Darien," Serena said, remarking on the entire Scout / Guardian transition. "Yeah, I called them on my communicator the day after. My family promised to keep the whole thing a secret. Even Sammy is going to, thank goodness."  
  
"That's good," Darien remarked. "So, do you know if the other Guardians got off as easily as you did with your parents?"  
  
"Well, all Amy got was a stern lecture from her mother since she didn't call first," Serena explained. "Raye got extra chores to do at the temple. Mina got grounded for a week. And you know Lita's situation…"  
  
"Yeah, I can relate," Darien said.  
  
Serena hung her head. "It must be hard to live all alone. I can't imagine it."  
  
Darien put his free hand on Serena's shoulder. "Don't worry about it," he said reassuringly. "I'm sure she's okay."  
  
Both took a seat upon a nearby bench. It faced the wonderful fountain that her friends met at when Lilithite stole Serena's broach, and changed their lives forever. Serena hung her head back. "Darien?" she said.  
  
"What is it?" he asked.  
  
"Do you think we changed the future at all?" she wondered. "I mean, since we got new powers, did anything change."  
  
This suddenly triggered something in Darien's memory. "Oh no, I almost forgot to show you something!" he suddenly blurted out.  
  
This sparked Serena's curiosity. As she watched Darien reach into his jacket, he pulled out a small, disk-like object. "Where'd you get that?" Serena asked.  
  
"Well," Darien began to explain, "when the rest of you left to take your tests, a portal opened up for me as well. I entered it, then I was transported to 30th Century Crystal Tokyo. King Endymion gave me a trial to pass, which gave me new powers. That's also how I acquired the Rose Sword, Moon Lunar Staff, and this thing."  
  
Serena gave Darien the evil eye again. "And why didn't you tell me this sooner?"  
  
Darien smiled. "The subject never came up, I guess."  
  
After Serena elbowed him in the ribs, Darien continued. "I think King Endymion called it a 'Message Sphere,' or something like that."  
  
"It sure doesn't look like a sphere," Serena remarked.  
  
"I know that," Darien said, "but that's what he called it. I think this is how we activate it…"  
  
Darien pressed a small button in the middle of the disk. Instantly, it floated out of Darien's hands and started to spin extremely fast. So fast, that the flat object looked like a sphere, hence the name. In a moment, a picture of King Endymion appeared on the swirling object, starting a recorded message.  
  
"Serena and Darien," the message began, "if you are seeing and hearing this message now, it means that either one, or both of you retrieved it from us in the 30th century. It also means that you two are watching this together."  
  
Serena, although she was overjoyed to see Darien's future self once again, she was frantically looking left and right, hoping that any of the other people in the park were seeing this strange phenomena.  
  
"If you are in a public place," the message continued, "do not worry. The message sphere will appear invisible to those it wasn't addressed to. This message is meant for you and you alone." Serena blushed at this point. A smiling Darien put an arm around her to make her feel better.  
  
The message continued, with the picture panning out slightly as it did. "Now that the greeting is out of the way, I would like to send my thanks to you for many things. For your tireless efforts to restore Crystal Tokyo from the clutches of the Death Phantom, for taking care of our young daughter, for teaching her many valuable lessons…and so much more that you have done for us. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. And I believe there are a couple of other people that would like to thank you as well."  
  
The picture had finished panning out at this point. King Endymion was now joined by Neo-Queen Serenity, with Rini perched up in her lap. "Hi Serena! Hi Darien!" said a very happy Rini. Both Darien and Serena smiled.  
  
"Okay, honey. Let me talk now," Neo-Queen Serenity said to her daughter. "You can talk next."  
  
"Yes, Mommy," said Rini, disappointment creeping into her voice.  
  
The message continued with Neo-Queen Serenity turning to face their 20th century counterparts, her warm smile greeting them. "It seems odd to be talking to our 'former selves,' but I guess that would seem natural. Anyway, I'd like to give my thanks as well. Not only have you saved my life, but you have done so much else for us, I can't name each thing individually. But most of all, thank you for taking care of Rini. It must have been hard for you, but we thank you none the less."  
  
"Darn right it was hard," Serena muttered. Darien shushed her as the message continued.  
  
"Okay, Rini, now it's you're turn," said the queen.  
  
"Thanks, you guys!" Rini said happily. "I don't know what I would have done without you. Guess what? Mommy's gonna have a baby!"  
  
Serena and Darien were shocked when they heard this. Rini's parents seemed shocked as well. "Rini, what did we tell you about…" King Endymion started.  
  
"Oh, honey," Neo-Queen Serenity interrupted, "she couldn't help it. Besides, I don't think it would affect the past too much."  
  
King Endymion smiled. "Okay, dear." He turned back towards Serena and Darien. "The baby is due next spring."  
  
"Mommy says I'm gonna be a big sister!" Rini beamed proudly. "I hope I get a little sister to play with!"  
  
"We found out yesterday," Neo-Queen Serenity explained. "To tell you the truth, we're as excited as Rini is.  
  
"Anyway," King Endymion said, "time on the sphere grows short. We must be going now. Once again, thank you for your efforts. We'll never forget them." After a few good-byes from the trio, the messaged ended. The disk stopped spinning and floated back to Darien's hands.  
  
This left the couple speechless for a few moments. Serena was the one to break the silence. "Well, I guess that answers my questions about the future," she said, somewhat stunned at the fact that Neo-Queen Serenity was going to have another child. "How about yours, Muffin?"  
  
Darien grinned from ear to ear. "A happy family that continues to grow. What's there to question?"  
  
Both Darien and Serena took a moment to look into eachother's eyes. "A handsome king," Serena remarked.  
  
"And a radiant queen," Darien said.  
  
"My handsome prince…" Serena said, love in her eyes.  
  
"My beautiful princess…" Darien whispered, leaning in closer.  
  
Both shared a deep embrace. An embrace that seemed to be one of many they would share for years to come.  
  
THE END  
  
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Reflections and Final Author's Notes  
  
Wow, it's been so long since I first started this fanfic. I think it will be be about...holy moly, 3 years this April when I first hammered a prologue down for this thing. That is amazing.  
  
The reason I'm writing new author's notes over a year after I finished "Return of the Jedite" is to simply look back on this piece, remember how things came to be, and to give you, the reader, sort-of a "behind-the-scenes" look.  
  
When I began this fanfic, I honestly didn't know where it would take me. Plus, since S and SuperS hadn't been dubbed yet at the time, so I only had the DiC product (shudder), and a few Japanese fun facts to help me along. I decided to go forward with an alternate universe fanfic, taking place right after SMR. So, out came a prologue, and the first chapter. I managed to hammer out a plot, and soon afterwards, I was on a roll!  
  
When I got to the first fight scene, I had other ideas on how to proceed. Senshi manage to procure the badge, Serena transforms, Lilithite gets crushed. Fanfic over. After a bit, I figured out that would completely blow the basis of the title, and the plot. So, I thought about it, and a revelation came to me one night. It's an alternate universe, right? So, why not an alternate power upgrade? So, Senshi LOSE powers, Jedite awakens, and a new journey manages to come out of it.  
  
I tried to create parents of the Senshi that complemented their personalities well. I figured that Amy's parent should be a wise man, so I made him elderly as well. Wisdom comes with age, you know? Plus, Amy never mentioned she had a father, so I gave her one. Mina was hard, so I made her mother a nice soul who means well, but slightly ditzy. I threw in the messed-up proverb as well, just for kicks. ;) Anyway, on to Raye. Same case with Amy and her father, Raye never had a mother. So, I gave her one, decked out in red robes. I apologize if I made mistakes with the Shinto religion, I meant no ill will. I just thought it would fit. As far as Lita's parent was concerned, I always pictured a fun-loving, carefree guy who loved to fight and spar. (Goku?) I had fun creating him.  
  
I made "Scouts" into "Guardians", partialy to fix the "Scouts" name. Hey, I was young and naive back then. Now, I'm older and naive. Anyway, Scouts became Guardians, and my power-upgrade really super-charged them, much more than I thought at first. However, I figured that since the Guardian form was the Senshi form at "full power", I thought better of doubting myself.  
  
The final battle. How DBZ-ish can you get? After reading over the whole thing again, I said at the end "Oh my God! Gohan killed Cell!" Literally! I made so many parallels to the Gohan/Cell fight in Dragon Ball Z without realizing it, it took me 1 ½ years to figure it out. (7 Cell Jrs./7 Generals, Cell VS Gohan 1/Lilithite VS Sailor Moon, Cell VS Gohan 2/Jedite VS Sailor Moon) Woah. Seriously, the battle is very DBZ-ish, because it spans many chapters, focuses on one aspect at a time, and involves many characters at once. I do think, though, that there is enough originality in the writing to warrant it a full Sailor Moon battle sequence.  
  
The ending flooded out of me. I wanted to throw in a twist at the end, and I thought, hey, Serena's family finds out she's Sailor Moon! Do you like? If you don't, that's okay. I thought I carried it well, though.  
  
And speaking of twists, I thought that the "Neo-Queen Serenity is Pregnent? AGAIN?" thing was cool. Then again, it's just me. ;)  
  
One thing that didn't come to be, though, was that this story was supposed to spring foward many sequals. That's why I added in a "new enemy?" sequence in Chapter 29. For the possible sequal to this story. I was going to call it "The Sailor Moon Chronicals" with this story to be Volume 1. Who knows. Maybe I'll put forward a sequal some day. In between MSTing, you know.  
  
Well, that's it. This story in a nut-shell. I loved writing it, and I am very proud of it. I hope you all enjoyed it as well. Take care. All of you.  
  
Tuxedo Alex  
  



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